Baby boomer
Registered User
- Messages
- 735
I have been a VHI customer since I started work nearly four decades ago. Premiums were modest and attracted full tax relief. The public health service was poor. Public hospitals were grim places. VHI was a no-brainer.
Roll on 40 years.
The public health service has improved beyond recognition. The HSE will pay for your treatment abroad in a lot of cases. Public hospitals are much nicer. Public policy is to have a single waiting list for public and private.
Meanwhile the cost of health insurance has escalated beyond recognition. Tax relief is reduced to standard rate. I feel like I'm paying more and more for less and less. I'm actually paying on the double; once for my VHI and once more through my taxes for a public system that's almost as good, and better in some cases. If the private system is going to be no better than the public system, what is the point of paying for it?
So, is this a game changer? I am seriously considering dropping my long held VHI and pocketing nearly 2k nett pa. I could "self-insure" for anything that's not available or has an undue delay. After 10 years that's a fund of 20k - should be plenty.
Or am I mad? Any thoughts?
Roll on 40 years.
The public health service has improved beyond recognition. The HSE will pay for your treatment abroad in a lot of cases. Public hospitals are much nicer. Public policy is to have a single waiting list for public and private.
Meanwhile the cost of health insurance has escalated beyond recognition. Tax relief is reduced to standard rate. I feel like I'm paying more and more for less and less. I'm actually paying on the double; once for my VHI and once more through my taxes for a public system that's almost as good, and better in some cases. If the private system is going to be no better than the public system, what is the point of paying for it?
So, is this a game changer? I am seriously considering dropping my long held VHI and pocketing nearly 2k nett pa. I could "self-insure" for anything that's not available or has an undue delay. After 10 years that's a fund of 20k - should be plenty.
Or am I mad? Any thoughts?