Background:
I am currently on a VHI International policy. Even though my permanent address is in Ireland and I am tax resident in Ireland, I cannot get a domestic policy because all work trips spent outside of Ireland over each year cumulatively pass the 6 month mark. As my policy currently stands, when I am in Ireland, I cannot be in the country more than 60 days to satisfy the policy requirements. If I pass 60 continuous days in Ireland I must switch to a domestic policy. I was 36 years of age when I joined VHI International in 2014. I did not have any health insurance prior to this. VHI advised me yesterday that the International Policy does not qualify for
Current Situation:
Part 1: All work trips have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. I have now passed the 60 day period and I have cancelled the domestic policy. In Pre-covid-19times, I would have had to take out a domestic policy at the same time for continuity in cover and to avoid waiting periods. Given the current situation with private hospitals now being operated as public hospitals, I don't believe its worth switching to / taking out a domestic policy. After cancelling the International policy yesterday, VHI advised me that I have 30 days to take out a domestic policy to ensure continuity of cover and avoid resetting of waiting periods. But I read in other posts that 13 week gap is allowable before waiting periods are reset.
Part 2: When I inquired about switching to a domestic policy, I was advised that my 6 years on the International policy WOULD NOT be taken into account for age related loading factor, and that a 16% loading factor would be applied if I were to take out a domestic policy. I am pretty sure that at the time of taking out the international policy in 2014, that I was advised that the years on that policy would be taken into account if I was ever to switch to a domestic policy. (Because of the changes that were coming inot force in 2015, I made it a priority to join health insurance in 2014, and if my memory serves me correctly, I made a point of making sure that asked about getting credits). VHI say they will now have to go back to the telephone tapes to see what advice was given to me at that time.
Q1. Given the current situation with private hospitals, Should I wait 13 weeks before taking out a new policy? or should I take out the most basic policy available for now to protect my zero years waiting period?
Q2. As a permanent tax resident in Ireland, who could not access domestic policies because of the level of business travel required by my Irish employer, I believe that it’s my entitlement to get age related loading credits for each year paid on the International policy. I plan to contact the HIA about this and I hope that they will support my claim to get credits. Does anybody else out there have any experience or suggestions based on this scenario?
Apologies if that all is all a bit long winded.! Just trying to give the full picture of my case. Thanks in advance for any answers and advice.
I am currently on a VHI International policy. Even though my permanent address is in Ireland and I am tax resident in Ireland, I cannot get a domestic policy because all work trips spent outside of Ireland over each year cumulatively pass the 6 month mark. As my policy currently stands, when I am in Ireland, I cannot be in the country more than 60 days to satisfy the policy requirements. If I pass 60 continuous days in Ireland I must switch to a domestic policy. I was 36 years of age when I joined VHI International in 2014. I did not have any health insurance prior to this. VHI advised me yesterday that the International Policy does not qualify for
Current Situation:
Part 1: All work trips have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. I have now passed the 60 day period and I have cancelled the domestic policy. In Pre-covid-19times, I would have had to take out a domestic policy at the same time for continuity in cover and to avoid waiting periods. Given the current situation with private hospitals now being operated as public hospitals, I don't believe its worth switching to / taking out a domestic policy. After cancelling the International policy yesterday, VHI advised me that I have 30 days to take out a domestic policy to ensure continuity of cover and avoid resetting of waiting periods. But I read in other posts that 13 week gap is allowable before waiting periods are reset.
Part 2: When I inquired about switching to a domestic policy, I was advised that my 6 years on the International policy WOULD NOT be taken into account for age related loading factor, and that a 16% loading factor would be applied if I were to take out a domestic policy. I am pretty sure that at the time of taking out the international policy in 2014, that I was advised that the years on that policy would be taken into account if I was ever to switch to a domestic policy. (Because of the changes that were coming inot force in 2015, I made it a priority to join health insurance in 2014, and if my memory serves me correctly, I made a point of making sure that asked about getting credits). VHI say they will now have to go back to the telephone tapes to see what advice was given to me at that time.
Q1. Given the current situation with private hospitals, Should I wait 13 weeks before taking out a new policy? or should I take out the most basic policy available for now to protect my zero years waiting period?
Q2. As a permanent tax resident in Ireland, who could not access domestic policies because of the level of business travel required by my Irish employer, I believe that it’s my entitlement to get age related loading credits for each year paid on the International policy. I plan to contact the HIA about this and I hope that they will support my claim to get credits. Does anybody else out there have any experience or suggestions based on this scenario?
Apologies if that all is all a bit long winded.! Just trying to give the full picture of my case. Thanks in advance for any answers and advice.
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