Health insurance recommendation wanted.

[priscilla]

Hi,
I have searched through the various health insurance sites but I am too confused by the vast amounts of plans on offer so I wonder if anyone could please give a recommendation.

My friends are currently insured with the Garda Medical Fund but are looking for cheaper options. They are both 55 years old and relatively healthy. One suffers from asthma and the other experiences back pain which he generally would receive physio every few years when an acute phase may occur. There is a family history of heart disease with a couple of siblings receiving excellent care in the public sector. One will need bunion correction treatment in the next few years.

At the moment they avail of the drugs refund scheme with their medications "capped" at a certain figure.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated in deciding which options would be best for them.


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[snowyb]

Hi priscilla,

Laya plans would be the nearest equivalent to the Garda Medical Fund, with no shortfalls for hip or knee replacement surgery.
The following options are worth considering, details as follows;

1. Simply Connect; price 1179pa; all public, private and 3 hi-tech hospitals covered, private/hi-tech hospital excess 150 x 2 max per year - regardless of the total amount of admissions overall. Day case excess 50 per procedure. Good day to day cover included, 50% refund for consultant visits, physio, dental, gp etc. Max day to day expenses refund is 500( 50% of 1000).

2. Simply Connect Plus; price 1250pa; same cover as Simply Connect. 2 differences include max excess in private/hi-tech hospitals 150 x 1 per year, regardless of the total number of admissions. Day to day cover as before, max refund 1000( 50% of 2000).

3. Simplicity; price 1191pa; Hospital cover similar to previous 2 plans, difference relates to max private/hi-tech excess 100 x 2 per year - regardless of the number of admissions. Also this plan fully covers a private room in a private hospital. Day to day expenses covered, difference is the first 100 not allowed.

[broken link removed]

The following link shows the Garda Medical Aid scheme details which are not available on the Health Insurance Authority website.
https://www.medicalaid.ie/pdfs/plan_comparison.pdf?v=1.2

Note; there is no cover for medications on the Laya plans, there is an allowance of 60 per month on the Garda plan.
There is good cover for the 3 hi-tech hospitals, Mater Private; Blackrock Clinic; and Beacon hospital with Laya.
Its not clear as to whether these hospitals are covered on the Garda Medical plan.

Regards, Snowyb

 

[priscilla]

Snowyb,
Thank you very much, I will pass on your recommendations.
Kind regards,
Priscilla.