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Health Insurance in UK

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  • 30-04-2013 11:19am
    #1
    maguffin
    Registered Users Posts: 282 ✭✭


    Hi.. a few question for anyone here who has moved from Ireland to the UK and who had health insurance (VHI etc) in Ireland:

    1. Was it easy to get Health Insurance in UK?
    2. How did cost compare to Irish Health Insurance?
    3. Is there any form of 'transfer' from an Irish company to a UK one?
    4. Did the UK Insurance plan compare favourably with the Irish one?
    5. Which Insurance Provider would you recommend?

    Finally.... is it worth having Private Health Insurance at all in UK? (given the way their NHS works compared to the Irish equivalent)

    Note: I currently have VHI here in Ireland and will be moving to UK later this year.

    All help welcome....thanks in advance!!


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    #2
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,727 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    I had health insurance back home but it was a family package taken out by my parents. The only question of yours I can answer is your last one. None of my friends here have private medical insurance. They all consider the NHS to be adequate for their needs. There's a fairly posh doctor at work and he was happy for his wife to have their first child at Wythenshawe hospital on the NHS despite being more than able to go private. The few times I've went to a GP, I was able to make an appointment within 7 days of calling and there's no GP fees though I think there is a fee for prescriptions.

    The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

    Leviticus 19:34



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    #3
    nogoodnamesleft
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭nogoodnamesleft


    I have private health insurance with a company which give a 50% discount on the local gym. Which makes the prospect of the cost incurred of having a gym membership and health insurance more palatable.

    The NHS is considerably better than the health service at home however the doctors have 10min slots which are free but you get the feeling of being rushed a bit (compared to being at home). If your in Wales your prescription is free which was a nice surprise when I was living there.

    Some procedures have a postcode lottery to determine who can avail of the service. Being honest the security it offers is worth it in my opinion.


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    #4
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,727 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    nogoodnamesleft wrote: »
    The NHS is considerably better than the health service at home however the doctors have 10min slots which are free but you get the feeling of being rushed a bit (compared to being at home).

    I never noticed that. I've been to the doctor a few times in a couple of practices and not once did I feel rushed. I've never even heard of this 10 minute slot thing at all to be honest.

    The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

    Leviticus 19:34



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    #5
    Gorteen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,011 ✭✭✭Gorteen


    I lived in UK for almost 13 years and never needed health insurance. It is fairly rare for people there to even consider it, because while the NHS isn't perfect, it's miles ahead of HSE. Trust me, I've worked in both! Our first two children were born there and it was better than our experience with subsequent child born here.
    GPs have a good service. Attending was free and there was a flat rate for your rpescription, no matter what medicines wree prescribed (As far as I can recall, it was around £10). There was no charge for attendance at A&E, no inpatient charges and waiting lists were so politically sensitive that they were no as bad as here (although here has got better in the past few years)....


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