Best personal health insurance advice?

CoolGuy2000

I used hia.ie to compare some plans, but I'd feel better if there were someone up to date that could give me the scoop, over the phone, or whatever.
Is there anywhere where a citizen can go looking for this information?

CoolGuy2000

No?

Well - would anyone be in a position to advise regarding laya vs the vhi?

Laya's premiums are so much lower...
But it seems they don't cover alot of the private hospitals.

gerard2210

Whats your budget?
Would you want a refund on day to day medical expenses?

CoolGuy2000

gerard2210 wrote: »

Whats your budget?
Would you want a refund on day to day medical expenses?

My current premium is 94 euro a month - which is leaving me totally skint.

I'm on the VHI one plan.
Either gonna switch to the VHI start plan 250, or Laya precision 600.

Day to day cover?
My concern is - sports injuries.
If I did my ACL - I don't want to be on some public waiting list.

I want immediate surgery with the best dudes.

Some of the plans say, "60% cover for orthopediac and opthalmic procedures".
Does that apply to like just, hip replacements?
Or would knee surgery come into that also?

Any surgery - I've had my jaw wired twice already, my nose set, my hands set on a bunch of occasions.

If I need to go under the knife, I don't want to foot 40% of the bill and have some incompetent looking after me.

Cutting from the one plan to say, laya 600 - I understand there's a 600 euro excess on some claims, where only 125 with the one plan.
What situations does that apply to?

Already - cover abroad - VHI one plan is 65000.
Laya has - whatever is applicable on Irish shores.


I need to hear from someone who knows these things in better depth, and can advise on a low cost plan to meed my needs - cause I'm sure there's a bunch of stuff in the One plan I don't even need/applies to the elderly/maternity situations etc.

gerard2210

Compare your current plan with the laya simplicity and the simply health choice plans. Laya plans seem to have much better cover both inpatient and day to day bills, check the hospital list for hospitals near you, as you mentioned earlier not all hospitals are covered by laya.

CoolGuy2000

I couldn't find plans under them names.

The main concern here is the excess it's necessary to pay - it's not fully clear to me exactly when this would be applicable but, loosely, I understand it's with any long term hospital admission, be that, a day or more.
I was looking at the Laya 600 plan, but for 100 euro more per year, there is the VHI 250 start plan - which seems comprehensive enough, save for certain private hospitals not being covered - including the Galway Clinic.
But the excess is just twice that of the one plan is many circumstances, one plan being 125, start plan being 250.
With a 400 euro savings on the premiums.

My main concern would be, major procedures - but I still understand they would not fall under the heading of specialist procedures such as prosthetics.
Knee or facail reconstruction - pins and surgery on bones and joints etc.
Provided I have that cover - and good overseas cover - that's my priority.

gerard2210

Look up the hia.ie website and compare the plans I mentioned, simplicity and simply health choice. The excess on the plans you're looking at are usually paid on all hospital admissions.
You can call a health insurance broker to discuss your options.

CoolGuy2000

gerard2210 wrote: »

Look up the hia.ie website and compare the plans I mentioned, simplicity and simply health choice. The excess on the plans you're looking at are usually paid on all hospital admissions.
You can call a health insurance broker to discuss your options.

Does the One Plan have excess?

Cause I had an endoscopy a few months back and that was covered - no excess.

Plus I had a bunch of endocrine day procedures - no excess paid.

One Plan - excess or no?
HIA website says 125 excess vs 250 excess of Start plan - but - like I said, I certainly didn't pay.

gerard2210

The vhi web site says some diagnostic procedures are covered on the one plan.

Quackster

Both VHI Start Plan 250, and Laya Precision 600 have quite heavy limitations in terms of the private hospitals and procedures they cover for the sake of saving a few hundred euro a year.

If you can at all afford it, Laya Simplicity @ €1087 a year gives the best value for your money. Much better than VHI One Plan.

In any case, when searching plans on the HIA website, be sure to set cover at 'Private Hospital Semi-private room' and I'd highly recommend clicking on 'refine search' and selecting to only show plans with NO restricted procedures and NO restricted hospital lists.

The cheapest such plans at the moment are the Laya plans Flex 500 Explore @ €757.10 and Flex 375 Explore @ €873.54.

But forget them. In my own opinion, the cheapest plan worth considering is the next cheapest Laya plan, Essential Health 300 @ €873.70.

gerard2210

Also if you have day to day expenses ie gp, phisyo, dental you can claim 50% of the cost back on the simplicity plan with laya.

CoolGuy2000

Quackster wrote: »

Both VHI Start Plan 250, and Laya Precision 600 have quite heavy limitations in terms of the private hospitals and procedures they cover for the sake of saving a few hundred euro a year.

If you can at all afford it, Laya Simplicity @ €1087 a year gives the best value for your money. Much better than VHI One Plan.

In any case, when searching plans on the HIA website, be sure to set cover at 'Private Hospital Semi-private room' and I'd highly recommend clicking on 'refine search' and selecting to only show plans with NO restricted procedures and NO restricted hospital lists.

The cheapest such plans at the moment are the Laya plans Flex 500 Explore @ €757.10 and Flex 375 Explore @ €873.54.

But forget them. In my own opinion, the cheapest plan worth considering is the next cheapest Laya plan, Essential Health 300 @ €873.70.

I had researched the public hospitals not covered and - they're not in my area so unlikely I'd be attending them anyways.


The Galway clinic is not covered which is a bummer but, there are other private hospitals covered.

In terms of procedures not covered - now correct me if I'm wrong here but - it seemed procedures like prosthetics were not fully covered, but regular orthopedic procedures were.
That's what I understand from the hia websites when it mentions, "specialist procedures not covered", and the drop down menu lists those prosthetic procedures etc.

The excess that I'd have to pay for a potential admission is what scares me.
250, 300 - for the sake of a 400 euro premium saving - that's okay.
But 600 euro to get pins in my leg by example?
That I can't handle.

gerard2210

The simplicity plan I mentioned is probably the best within your budget, it has very good excess and cash back for g.p, physio, dental visits.
You probably need to talk to a broker if you need to go into the finer details of the plans.

CoolGuy2000

Cornmarket.ie

Anyone ever use these guys?
Was given their recommendation - gonna check it out just now.

CoolGuy2000

Also - regarding Laya Essential Health 300.

I was comparing that to VHI's One Plan 250.
They seem similar, but Laya's seem to have the edge on certain aspects.

Can anyone offer their opinion on the comparison between them both?

The other major thing with a lot of the lower cost plans was, the private hospitals not covered.
The psychiatric hospitals - St Pats being private - is apparently not covered by many of the lower cost plans.
Is that correct?

CoolGuy2000

Apparently those excesses are only payable in private hospitals also - according to the cornmarket dude...?

Henry Ford III

Might be worth talking to this guy...

http://www.totalhealthcover.ie/fee-based_consultation_with_dermot_goode

I've heard him on the radio and he certainly appears to know his subject.

Quackster

CoolGuy2000 wrote: »

Apparently those excesses are only payable in private hospitals also - according to the cornmarket dude...?

Yes, because the inpatient/day-case charges for public hospitals are low - €80 a day up to €800 maximum in any rolling year.

If you only intend using public hospitals, there is no sense in buying health insurance.

Supermansbuddy

Quackster wrote: »

Both VHI Start Plan 250, and Laya Precision 600 have quite heavy limitations in terms of the private hospitals and procedures they cover for the sake of saving a few hundred euro a year.

If you can at all afford it, Laya Simplicity @ €1087 a year gives the best value for your money. Much better than VHI One Plan.

In any case, when searching plans on the HIA website, be sure to set cover at 'Private Hospital Semi-private room' and I'd highly recommend clicking on 'refine search' and selecting to only show plans with NO restricted procedures and NO restricted hospital lists.

The cheapest such plans at the moment are the Laya plans Flex 500 Explore @ €757.10 and Flex 375 Explore @ €873.54.

But forget them. In my own opinion, the cheapest plan worth considering is the next cheapest Laya plan, Essential Health 300 @ €873.70.

Hey man - great info
I was considering modifying my plan now as well and, that one you recommended, the Laya Essential Health 300 - seems like an excellent option.
cornmarket advisers had told me the vhi one plan 250 was a solid choice but, EH 300 tops it everywhere significantly except a slightly higher excess.

Do you mind me asking how you came to deduce that was the best plan based on that thread starters queries?

Quackster

Supermansbuddy wrote: »

Hey man - great info
I was considering modifying my plan now as well and, that one you recommended, the Laya Essential Health 300 - seems like an excellent option.
cornmarket advisers had told me the vhi one plan 250 was a solid choice but, EH 300 tops it everywhere significantly except a slightly higher excess.

Do you mind me asking how you came to deduce that was the best plan based on that thread starters queries?

OP's currently paying roughly the same as what I am and I had recently researched things coming up to my own renewal date to make sure I was on the best plan for my money so I'm basically just sharing my homework!

OldMrBrennan83

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