Health insurance loading, New policy

Batzoo

I am just looking for some advice and clarity on Health Insurance. I have read that people taking out policies from next year will face a +2% loading per year after the age of 35.

I am early 40's and have never been to a doctors office or a hospital (apart from visiting the sick) in my entire life. I try to steer clear of medications as much as possible and if I catch a bug I just ride it out.

I had always planned to take out medical insurance when I hit my fifties and had a bit more disposable income. I was unemployed for a long time (Socially awkward and don't interview well) but have had steady employment for the last seven years (I was the only one of seven candidates that turned up for the interview). If I do have to stay in a hospital for any length of time I would like to be in a private room. I was never one for mixing and on the occasions I have visited people in hospital I get freaked out looking at the other patients wandering around in gowns, pushing drips or just looking vacant and abandoned in their beds. I would hate to be in their position and have strangers and their visitors gawking at me in my time of need. Hospitals don't do dignity well in my limited experience of them.

So now for my questions...

1. If I take out a health policy before the deadline and renew it every year, will I avoid the loading for life?

2. If I take a policy and pay for it online, do I have to take a medical or visit a doctor first? As insinuated, I would rather avoid all medical practitioners until absolutely necessary.

3. I have budgeted €15 to €20 per week as feasible. Even if I was to lose my current job, using savings and possible dole money I could maintain that rate for several years. Do policies have a tendency to increase every year or do they maintain roughly the same allowing for inflation?

4. If I become more or less flush over the years and need to upgrade/downgrade my policy are there penalties associated with this?

5. I have visited the HIA site and seen a load of policies. So many its confusing to know what I will need. I would like fully private in public hospitals. Cardiac and cancer cover would be nice and the minimum excess. Any suggestions on policies or experience of insurance companies under a €1000 is welcome.

6. I have a friend who is in the VHI for years. They needed a procedure done and had to stay in hospital for a couple of weeks. She was put in a public ward even though she had insurance for a private room. She requested on several occasions for a private room and was told none were available. The day before she was due to be discharged , the nurse told her that a private room was now available and she would arrange to have her moved. By this time she had built up a rapport with the patients that were in her ward and told the nurse were to stick her private room. In reality, she politely refused as she was due to be discharged and did not see the point in now moving. But the kicker was when she got the invoice, the private room charge was on it???

7. I understand that there is a waiting time for new policy holders. What is this period in general?

8. If I was to have a heart attack or get cancer in the next couple of years, would I be covered? How immediate is cover for things like diabetes which may already be an existing condition at my age? is it even covered at all?

I have another friend who has only had a policy for a couple of years. Severe neck pain occurred without any obvious reason. Doctor sent him for an MRI which the insurance company refused to pay for because they said it was an existing congenital injury. He never complained with a neck or back pain since he was born. It went on for a couple of months and only when he threatened legal action did the insurance company agree to cover the MRI, by which time the pain was gone and no treatment was required. Is this typical of claims?

I have a load more questions, but most have probably already stopped reading, so any advice and answers regarding new health insurance policies is appreciated.

okiss

I have just read your post here.
1. I think that once you take out a health policy before the deadline and renew it every year you should avoid the loading for life.
2. You don’t need to have a medical or doctors visit before taking out medical insurance.
3. Medical insurance costs can rise each year. Generally before your policy comes up for renewal you get a month’s notice to let you know the cost for the following year. If you find the cost is too high you should look up the hia website to see what other policies are available at time that would be similar to your current policy at a lower price.
4. In regards to upgrading or downgrading your policy it is possible to do this when your policy comes up renewal each year. When you upgrade you will have a waiting period to meet for any pre existing conditions before you can use the higher benefit but you will still be able to get treatment as per your previous plan. As you get older these waiting periods will be for a longer period of time.
5. In regards to public hospital they have a limited number of private beds and these are normally given to seriously ill patients.


When looking at health insurance policies you need to consider the following:
We have 3 types of hospitals in Ireland – public ie the mater public, private hospitals ie St Vincent’s private and high tech hospitals ie Mater Private, Blackrock Clinic, Galway Clinic, Beacon Hospital.
I would get an insurance policy that would cover you for a day case and also a semi private room in a private hospital as it would give you more options that just depending on the public system. I would also consider a policy that would give you cancer and cardiac care in the high tech hospitals as a day case or in a semi private room.
I would advise you to keep costs down that you are willing to pay an excess. In regard to an excess I would only go for one that is per hospital visit rather that one which pays 80% of cost ie an operation that costs €10,000 so your policy will pay €8000 and you will pay €2000.

The costs of a policy that will cover you for a private room in a private hospital or a high tech hospital are very high. Some policies will give a very limited amount of cover for a private room in a private/high tech hospital and you could have to pay €150 plus for each night you stay in a private room. If you look at the hia.ie website you can see if you have any cover for day cases/semi private/private rooms in the private high tech hospitals on all policies.
If you go to the hia.ie website and click on consumer information then click on selecting a plan which gives basic information. If you click then on waiting periods it will tell you how long you have to wait before availing of private insurance. There is a lot of information here under various headings.

Have a look at this and if you have any further questions just put them up here.