Health Insurance NEED SOME HEALTH INSURANCE INFO

[Rosemary McManus]

I live abroad have done so for the last nine years.
I have a private health insurance policy where I live and I am on a public health system and so have made no claims on the policy.
I am 54 years old and maybe one day might return to Ireland to live.
Do I need to buy an old cheap Irish health care policy in Ireland by the 30/4 for the cheapest possible rate, never use it but pay for it in case I ever return and dont want to have the loading or does the fact that I have always had health insurance here not count?
Does anyone know. There are some for €35 a month but I will never be using it. Thank you in advance.

 

[snowyb]

Hi Rosemary,
There's a special provision for people returning from abroad to live in Ireland.
They allow a person nine months grace, in which to buy a health insurance policy without any % loading applied.
This question is covered on the Health Insurance Authority website as follows;

What about people who have emigrated, will they have to pay the loading when they return? Anybody who lives outside of the State on 1 May 2015 and moves to live in Ireland will have 9 months to purchase inpatient private health insurance avoiding the loading under Lifetime Community Rating

However, you will be treated as a new customer and waiting times will apply before you would be covered under the policy.
For new illnesses, waiting time of 1 year applies for a person aged 55 - 64. For pre-existing conditions a waiting time of 7years
applies for aged 55-59yrs, 10years waiting for aged 60+years.
Details as follows;
http://www.hia.ie/consumer-information/waiting-periods/new-customer-waiting-periods

Regarding your query re buying a cheap basic policy, while still living abroad. As far as I know, a person has to be a resident in Ireland
to buy a health insurance policy but I'm open to correction on that. The Health Insurance Authority are very helpful with all queries
re health insurance. You could clarify this info with them.
http://www.hia.ie/contact/contact-details

Regards, Snowyb

 

[Rosemary McManus]

Thank you very much for your reply. It has been very helpful and I have looked at the sites from your links. I will just now continue to pay my policy here. Thank you.