Health Insurance Renewal for family of 2 adults + 3 children

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laragh

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Trying to check out possible options for my family of 5 for health insurance.

I am 43 and my wife is 38 we are both reasobly healthy apart from a diagnosed arthritic condition which affects my back and neck and which I attend a consultant about from time to time and i also get physio or physical therapy. But there are no major bills for this.

My 3 kids are aged 6, 4 and 2 and as healthy as can be.

I have read about dropping the kids down to really low level plans but am not sure about this.

My wife is on GloHealth Net Most 300
I am on Better Advantage with the two youngest kids
and the six year old is on Net Most 100

I split these up last year based on advice from the gloheath rep (over the phone) but am wondering if it makes more sense to keep us all on one family plan to try and avail of discounts.

It would be great to get some help with this
 
Hi folks - back again,

Since posting above I spent a good bit of time last night reading on this forum and on the HIA site - there is some really good info on this forum, it really is worth taking the time to go through it.
My renewal date is 22/01/2016 so I have another week to finalise my cover. I am from Monaghan which means that Dublin is the nearest location for private/ Hi Tech hospitals. Also my eldest daughter got her adenoids out a year ago and we actually went north for that procedure (as directed by the consultant she went to) and we were covered so I probably need to consider that too

Based on a reply by snowyb (really good info from this contributor right throughout the forum) which is available here it seems like the Better Active Plan is a cheaper option with equivalent cover. So i might use this to cover myself and the two youngest

But I am still wondering about putting my eldest (6 year old) and my wife on it as well - she is on Net Most 300 which is €200 cheaper but with lower cover.

And I haven't even considered the other players in the market and their offerings yet. The problem with this health insurance business is there is just too much choice!!
 
Laragh, I'm afraid I can't offer you any advice. I just wanted to agree with you with regard to the sheer volume of options out there. It's absolutely bewildering. And I would also like to agree that there are wonderful contributors to this forum with a wealth of advice.
I will be following this thread as I am due to renew in early February.
 
Hi Laragh,

Alternative options with Glohealth are as follows;

Self(husband) and 2 yr old; children under 3 go free on the following plan;
Better Active Plan; price 1065pa; children under 3 go free, public, private and hi-tech hospital cover, 75 euro excess, limited day to day cover.
[broken link removed]


4 and 6 year olds with Glohealth;
Glohealth have a half price offer at the moment for children under 12 yrs on the following 2 plans;
1. Nurture Plan; price per child 100pa(including discount); public, private and some hi-tech hospital cover, 300 private excess, limited day to day.
2. Nurture Plus Plan; price per child 140pa(including discount) public, private and some hi-tech hospital cover, 125 private excess,limited day to day.
[broken link removed]

Wife alternative option with Glohealth;
Kick Off Plus; price 825pa; public, private and some hi-tech hospital cover. (similar to Net Most 300 plan) 300 private excess, limited day to day.
[broken link removed]

or Better Active Plan 1065pa if you want to upgrade cover.


As an alternative with Laya Healthcare with better cover both inpatient and day to day as follows;
1. Simply Connect; price 999pa; public, private and hi-tech hospital cover, 150 x 2 max excess, no 2000 co payment for orthopaedic, good day to day max refund 300 per year.
[broken link removed]

VHI have a half price offer for children which would be the best option to go with the Laya option, VHI allow children only to be insured, just an adults name goes on the policy but only the children are insured.
1. One + Plan; 131 per child; public, private and hi-tech hospitals covered, 125 private excess. limited day to day cover.
[broken link removed]

Regards, Snowyb
 
Many thanks Snowyb,

I will check out those plans tomorrow - great to have your advice.

At a quick glance I see that some of the additional packages including travel insurance and cover for physio etc. are not covered under those Glohealth Nurture plans. Its never as simple as taking the cheapest - if the cover is changing

Thanks again

laragh
 
So sorry only seeing this now, glo are giving 5% discount off better active (maybe every plan) if you renew on a Sunday in January. Also cornmarket will give you the 5% discount every day :)

Laragh I have just renewed. Seriously it just soooo confusing. Have you worked out how much you want to spend per month ?
 
Well folks,

Took another look at this today and rang GloHealth. They have a good team there on the phones.
"Better active" seems to be the best choice for myself and perhaps 2 or maybe all of the kids.
It seems that the kids cant go on the Nurture plus plans on their own without either the wife or myself going on too.
So I must check out that option with my wife and the two oldest going on that

The "Kick off" plan was also mentioned as an option but the rep recommended just going with the "kick off basic" and then if she needs higher cover then getting the "kick off upgrade" (and paying the extra at that point) to cover her for procedures in private hospitals. This sound nearly too good to be true - has anyone availed of these kick off plans?
 
I've never heard of an adult required to be on a plan, so that a child can avail of a discount on the same plan.
I can understand sometimes an adult is required to be the same company but not necessarily the same plan.
I'd check this out with the Health Insurance Authority before finalising decisions, I think this arose a few years ago
and it was against the rules at the time.

Regarding the Kick Off plans, these are new plans since 1 December 2015, so they will probably take a while to catch on.
They are a new type of plan, first of its kind apparently, with the unique feature of switching to 'Kick off Upgrade' plan if private hospital cover
is required anytime in the future. So you only pay for the dearer plan when and if required, outside of renewal date with immediate private cover.
I heard a health insurance broker 'Dermot Goode' talking about it on radio in December, apart from that I have no experience to relate.

Snowyb
 
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