Super8,
The following Irish Life Plan has better hospital cover at a lower price and worth considering;
1. Select More plan; price 1082pa; all public, private (including private room fully covered) and Beacon hospital covered; private hospital excess
150 per admission and 75 per private day case procedure. The better cover just means that the full list of public and private hospitals are
covered on this plan compared to a restricted list on her current plan.
An alternative option with Laya has extra hospital cover and no co-payment of 2000 for hip or knee replacement surgery.
2. Laya Control 150 Connect; price 1193pa; all public, private( including private room fully covered) + 3 hi-tech hospitals covered; private
hospital excess 150 per admission and 75 per private day case procedure. The better cover on this means the full list of public and private hospitals covered compared to the restricted list on her current plan. Also, there is cover for Blackrock Clinic and Mater Private on this plan, not covered on her current plan. Hip and knee replacement surgery is fully covered in all private and hi-tech hospitals with no excess. Her current plan has a 2000 supplement payment for this surgery in private hospitals.
If cover for a private room in a private hospital is not a priority, the following Laya plan is worth considering ( semi-private room is fully covered - 2-bed ward)
3. Simply Connect; price 1100pa; all public,private and 3 hi-tech hospitals covered, private/hi-tech excess 150 x 2 max per year for all private
hospital admissions; 50 excess per private day case procedure; good day to day cover on this plan with a 50% refund for consultant visits,
gp, dental, physio, chiropodist, etc. Max day to day refund is 500 per year.
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I can understand you questioning the point of having health insurance for an older person and I think on balance I would be inclined to keep it.
It can come in handy for the likes of cataract surgery or other minor procedures where the public waiting lists are 2- 3 years. I know as you
head into your 80s+, the medical profession are not inclined to opt for surgery if possible. It depends on the type of person involved and the
nature of the illness. At the same time, I'm aware of older people who have had different types of surgery and with good outcomes.
Health insurance is a handy cushion to rely on in times of illness and can offer a range of options if waiting lists are an obstacle.
Hope this helps,
Snowyb