Re: Hospital cash plan
It might be worth your while looking at changing over to the Hospital Saturday Fund (HSF)
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It's more expensive than what you are paying at the moment, but I don't doubt that your present scheme is run primarily for the benefit of the shareholders of both AIB and AIG and not for your benefit. The HSF on the other hand is a "not-for-profit organisation dedicated to returning to its contributors the maximum benefits for the least possible cost".
As well as paying you a daily rate while you are an inpatient in hospital the HSF will also pay (up to an annual limit) towards the cost of your Optical and Dental claims. Expenses incurred by your Sp or children are also covered by this.
It's also useful if you are in Plan B of the VHI for example and need something done in the Mater Private Hospital. The money it pays makes up the difference (at least it did for me) between what the hospital charge and what the VHI will pay. In addition, in the more expensive plans, it will pay 1/2 the rate that you are entitled to in the event of hospitalisation of other members of your family.
If you or your family go into a public hospital, even for day surgery, you are covered for the overnight rate.
In my experience if you or your family attend a hospital consultant privately, his bills are not covered by the VHI unless you are an inpatient. HSF will make a payment towards these bills.
Again, the more expensive schemes will cover part of the cost of prescriptions and GP's visits.
I have found that I generally take more out than I pay in. Optical and Dental expenses for a family are a killer.
BTW there is a qualifying period before they will cover some things and preexisting conditions. Check with them in advance
I havn't had much luck from the personal injury claims yet (Thank God!), with the exception of a couple of the kids broken bones.
Most employers will deduct subscriptons direct from source.
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I see that you also got rid of payment protection. The Motley Fool website did several articles on this PPP and found the policies were run solely for the benefit of the CC company not for the cardholder. The companies were were making massive profits from the premiums and only paid out in a tiny number of cases because they had so many exclusion clauses. It really was a case of money for old rope
Murt