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Lifetime Community Rating: Widowed people could face 70% health insurance surcharge

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  • 18-03-2015 2:15pm
    #1
    henryporter
    Registered Users Posts: 2,089 ✭✭✭


    Anyone hear this on Newstalk earlier today? Effectively if the Health Insurance Policy holder dies (where their spouse is named on the policy), their spouse could be subjected to the full penalty of 70% (age related) when they seek Health Insurance for themselves. Don Gallagher was in stunned silence when Pat Kenny pointed out this oversight. If it is correct then it is a damning indication of exactly what the Minister for Health and the HIA think of the people in this country - read more here: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/widowed-people-could-face-70-health-insurance-surcharge-1.2143977


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    #2
    LostArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭LostArt


    It is 100% not correct. If you are named on a policy at them moment you will not be loaded when taking out a plan in your own name in the future, the Department of Health confirmed it to me earlier.


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    #3
    sarahq1962
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭sarahq1962


    HI, I am a bit unclear...if you take out the basic policy now b4 the Lifetime Community rating you avoid the levy if you are over 35. My question is if you take out the cheapest policy now and then upgrade say in 2 years, do you still pay no levy? I am worried you have to pay the levy on the difference between the 2 policies. Does anyone know for sure? I have looked up but find this question is either not answered or not clear. Thanks in advance.


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    #4
    cfuserkildare
    Registered Users Posts: 3,590 ✭✭✭cfuserkildare


    Basically the LCR is yet another form of Discrimination in Ireland.

    It is unlawful to create these types of criteria based on age/sex/religious tendancies.

    This government are really pushing it.


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    #5
    LostArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭LostArt


    It obviously isn't unlawful.


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    #6
    cfuserkildare
    Registered Users Posts: 3,590 ✭✭✭cfuserkildare


    LostArt wrote: »
    It obviously isn't unlawful.

    So it is lawfull to Discriminate against a section of society?

    If they said that any black person would need to pay extra, would it then be lawfull?

    Or if I was a woman, would that be lawfull?

    Ageism is just as bad as any other " ISM "!!


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    #7
    LostArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭LostArt


    Yeah, it's perfectly lawful. Why should a 60 year old entering the market be charged the same as a 30 year old?


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    #8
    hfallada
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,180 ✭✭✭hfallada


    cfuserkildare wrote: »
    So it is lawfull to Discriminate against a section of society?

    If they said that any black person would need to pay extra, would it then be lawfull?

    Or if I was a woman, would that be lawfull?

    Ageism is just as bad as any other " ISM "!!

    Its about equalising the playing field of insurance and stop people waiting to be old and sick to take out health insurance. Its not fair, that some are only using health insurance when they are old and not contributing fairly to the insurance fund.

    Can I ask do you drive? Would you mind if your premium was doubled to ensure that 18 years pay the same amount for care insurance as 55 year olds, who are lower risk? Because you dont think people should be discriminated against due to their age


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    #9
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,437 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    hfallada wrote: »
    Its about equalising the playing field of insurance and stop people waiting to be old and sick to take out health insurance. Its not fair, that some are only using health insurance when they are old and not contributing fairly to the insurance fund.

    +1 The principle of community rating says that everyone pays the same premium, this is unsustainable when you have the combination of an ageing population and no incentive for younger people to sign up until they get old and their knees start to creak or they get other illnesses and ailments associated with age.


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