Health Insurance is doing my head in

Albian

So I'm looking at the 3 companies that offer health insurance and the choices don't seem very clear at all. Private room, semi private room. Public hospital, private hospital. Pine hospital room furniture, oak effect furniture. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Ok, here's what I want.

I'm happy to pay to see the dentist/GP as and when I visit. I don't need reflexology and other therapies.

I do want fast scans, access to a specialist within a week or two if something is found to be really wrong and treatment asap. I also want the option to have treatment in any EU country if it's not available here.

I guess what i'm trying to say is I want good care should the sh*t hit the fan but I don't want to be paying for petty stuff.

So can anyone steer me in the right direction and what kind of money are we talking? I'm early 30's.

brettmirl

I'm in the same situation as yourself.

Ended up going with VHI's B Plan. You can go "B Options" if you want more benefits like physio to be covered etc.

I asked one of the call centre people about the other, more expensive options. She said that there really was no point, as you would be paying to get a private room, that you more than likely wouldn't get. She said that cause most hospitals run near capacity, the chances of getting a private room were slim to none.

I would say go with the basic plan. Like I said, I'm with VHI and so far so good.

Fulton Crown

Albian wrote: »

So I'm looking at the 3 companies that offer health insurance and the choices don't seem very clear at all. Private room, semi private room. Public hospital, private hospital. Pine hospital room furniture, oak effect furniture. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Ok, here's what I want.

I'm happy to pay to see the dentist/GP as and when I visit. I don't need reflexology and other therapies.

I do want fast scans, access to a specialist within a week or two if something is found to be really wrong and treatment asap. I also want the option to have treatment in any EU country if it's not available here.

I guess what i'm trying to say is I want good care should the sh*t hit the fan but I don't want to be paying for petty stuff.

So can anyone steer me in the right direction and what kind of money are we talking? I'm early 30's.

Vhi Lifestage plans are the best value for money - level 1 is right for your age group

dotsman

OR...

...you could go with BUPA or VIVAS and get a lot better health insurance for less money.

I can't imagine any sane person choosing VHI over the 2 others.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Went with vivas. customer service not too good, but you get more benefits for less money. I can imagine Bupa/Quinn health becoming the best offering over time, but don't think it is yet there.

VHI is always going to be the worst value because of its state-run nature imo, although it'll be the safest i.e. always there.

XJR

dotsman wrote: »

OR...

...you could go with BUPA or VIVAS and get a lot better health insurance for less money.

I can't imagine any sane person choosing VHI over the 2 others.

I'm not so sure that you get "a lot better health insurance for less money" that's obviously an opinion and is open to debate.

That aside I'm a sane person and the reason I use VHI is that I believe in Risk Equalisation and don't want to see our health care costs rise to the levels they have in the USA. For me its a moral issue.

BUPA no longer exists as they said that they couldn't make a profit so exited the market and funnily enough Sean Quinn took them over and is still trading.

Only thing the OP can do is try determine which cover is best and bear in mind that in this instance as in most insurance price should not be the issue.

When you need the operation you don't want to be quibbling over the cover!