Health Insurance Health cover -22 year old

deco87

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Hi I was just seeking a little advice in relation to whether it's better for a young lad 22 to get his own medical cover or stay on a policy - which he can do till he is 29 !

I pay into public service job , health provider and I can have son , on it , till he 29. I'm semi retired now.
He has just started year 2 apprenticeship as a plumber hoping to end up a heating engineer with the company he is with -

I'm paying 82 euro a month for his cover which will increase every year a nice bit -

Would he find it more difficult at 29 to start down the road of private medical insurance I wonder or be better off bite the bullet and start his own now - he is single and he will be giving me 82 a month from July - I wonder would you get defeat cover in the market for that kind of subscription

Many thanks for your help
 
I presume, but I can't find it spelled out anywhere, that when moving from a 'named' insured to insured in own name that he wouldn't be treated as a new customer and so wouldn't have to re-serve waiting periods.

Similarly for age loadings, although as that doesn't kick in until 35 it's not really an issue.

If he does go to sort out his own insurance, he can have up to 13 weeks between policies before it is treated as a gap in cover for waiting period purposes. But should be manageable so that there is no gap.

So at the moment, I don't see anything major that would swing it between staying as a named insured to his own policy.

82 euros a month works out as a policy of about €1000 a year which sounds like one tailored with hospital cover in mind possibly with some high excesses. Not a gold plated one by any means. You might be able to find a plan that's a little cheaper versus higher excess if the cost is a factor.

I'm not familiar with the VHI plans but if you have a look at other threads on the forum you may see suggestions - assuming you might want to stay with VHI? If they have a Swiftcare clinic convenient to your location that would be a reason to stay with VHI.
 
Not sure that a young healthy non-smoker should have health insurance at all.

He can start at 29 for the same price as someone who has had insurance since birth.

The only issue would be waiting times for existing illnesses. Not worth paying €1,000 a year for.

But if he is a drug-taking, heavy smoker with existing illnesses, it's great value as it's being subsidised by the healthy non-smokers foolish enough to take out health insurance.

Brendan
 
That's an interesting reply Brendan - I was giving thought to taking him off as named unless he wants to pay the partial sub himself , the benefits are poor enough but would cover private hospital room and 70 per cent or so consultants fee - thanks for reply
 
I presume, but I can't find it spelled out anywhere, that when moving from a 'named' insured to insured in own name that he wouldn't be treated as a new customer and so wouldn't have to re-serve waiting periods.

Similarly for age loadings, although as that doesn't kick in until 35 it's not really an issue.

If he does go to sort out his own insurance, he can have up to 13 weeks between policies before it is treated as a gap in cover for waiting period purposes. But should be manageable so that there is no gap.

So at the moment, I don't see anything major that would swing it between staying as a named insured to his own policy.

82 euros a month works out as a policy of about €1000 a year which sounds like one tailored with hospital cover in mind possibly with some high excesses. Not a gold plated one by any means. You might be able to find a plan that's a little cheaper versus higher excess if the cost is a factor.

I'm not familiar with the VHI plans but if you have a look at other threads on the forum you may see suggestions - assuming you might want to stay with VHI? If they have a Swiftcare clinic convenient to your location that would be a reason to stay with VHI.
Interesting thanks very much
 
Not sure that a young healthy non-smoker should have health insurance at all.

He can start at 29 for the same price as someone who has had insurance since birth.

The only issue would be waiting times for existing illnesses. Not worth paying €1,000 a year for.

But if he is a drug-taking, heavy smoker with existing illnesses, it's great value as it's being subsidised by the healthy non-smokers foolish enough to take out health insurance.

Brendan
Fair point. I would add at the other extreme if they are very active in sports, cycling etc they might want to consider it also in case of sports injuries and accidents.
 
Fair point. I would add at the other extreme if they are very active in sports, cycling etc they might want to consider it also in case of sports injuries and accidents.
That's true too - I suppose A@E
While you might be waiting ,
would have to see you , hard one to call - a friend suggested he apply for a medical card as he is on an apprenticeship - money is not great - I would imagine living at home he probably would not qualify
 
That's an interesting reply Brendan - I was giving thought to taking him off as named unless he wants to pay the partial sub himself , the benefits are poor enough but would cover private hospital room and 70 per cent or so consultants fee - thanks for reply
Hi,

That cover sounds quite good actually. The more common level of cover is 50% on consultant fees and a semi private room in a private hospital.

A good point to note is most plans will be discounted quite a lot at a lower young adult rate that tapers up each year until he reaches 26 years of age, when it will be the full adult rate.

Forecasting how ill/injured you will be to work out if health insurance is good value is no easy task. For most healthy 20 year olds it can be pretty poor value, unless they are sporty or athletic in which case it can be great value to insurance against frequent injuries. However if something happens and you need it, it can be the best decision you ever made. It was never on my radar until I unexpectedly needed healthcare and realised that care under public system essentially didn't exist whilst I was in extreme amounts of pain. If that happens he'll be paying for 5 years before that issue gets covered for inpatient treatment. Day to day costs will still be covered. Although I understand most people are fortunate not to experience such a scenario.

Perhaps a happy medium might be the cheapest high excess plan that covers private hospitals. If something happens he can cover the excesses as required and it's an easier two year waiting period when upgrading the plan. Or he could save the money instead, taking the risk that of something happens that the public system isn't good at handling, he may be able to pay for some diagnostics or even treatment out of pocket and if it doesn't he has saved the money and can take up insurance before loading kicks in at 35.
 
Not sure that a young healthy non-smoker should have health insurance at all.

He can start at 29 for the same price as someone who has had insurance since birth.

The only issue would be waiting times for existing illnesses. Not worth paying €1,000 a year for.

But if he is a drug-taking, heavy smoker with existing illnesses, it's great value as it's being subsidised by the healthy non-smokers foolish enough to take out health insurance.

Brendan

Lifestyle choices don't usually affect health significantly before your 40s unless you are in the extremes. Even then, older people are not using health insurance for high blood pressure and emphysema, but rather hip replacements, cataracts, heart bypasses, etc.

Cancer on the other hand can affect anyone at any age, so it's worth it for that alone. You have more comfort and better options with private oncology cover.

Younger people - especially young men - are also more likely to suffer injuries from work, sports, car crashes, etc. After you are patched up by the public A&E you might need scans, surgery, and long-term follow-up which is much quicker if you have private insurance.

Public psychiatric care is shocking and private psychiatry is very expensive without insurance. There's also fertility cover which is more common than people think.

€1,000 a year is a lot of money but if you're sitting on a public waiting list for something that is stopping you from earning, studying, starting a family, then you may feel differently.
 
Cancer on the other hand can affect anyone at any age, so it's worth it for that alone. You have more comfort and better options with private oncology cover.

How so ? I know two people who recently received exemplary care in the public system after the bowel screen programme detected abnormalities in samples.

If funds aren't a problem is the Cross border directive not an option for elective procedures that you alluded to above?
 
How so ? I know two people who recently received exemplary care in the public system after the bowel screen programme detected abnormalities in samples.
Public oncology services can be excellent. But as a private patient you have more choices about which hospital you attend, which consultant you see, when your treatment/scan is scheduled, etc. You will usually be in nicer accommodation which can really matter if you are in for a long spell. Some drugs and procedures are only available in private hospitals.

If funds aren't a problem is the Cross border directive not an option for elective procedures that you alluded to above?
The cross border directive is good for some things but can take time to arrange. From a continuity perspective it's not ideal as your care can become fragmented across borders/languages/timezones. I would regard it as a last resort as travelling when you're unwell is no joke, even if it's a couple of hours up to Belfast.
 
Public oncology services can be excellent. But as a private patient you have more choices about which hospital you attend, which consultant you see, when your treatment/scan is scheduled, etc. You will usually be in nicer accommodation which can really matter if you are in for a long spell. Some drugs and procedures are only available in private hospitals.


The cross border directive is good for some things but can take time to arrange. From a continuity perspective it's not ideal as your care can become fragmented across borders/languages/timezones. I would regard it as a last resort as travelling when you're unwell is no joke, even if it's a couple of hours up to Belfast.
Not to mention the possible delay getting the cancer diagnosed in the public system in the first place, outside of screening programs. Urgent appoint for a dermatologist for a skin check was a 1 year wait for me. Wait time for colonoscopies/endoscopies or an MRI/CT is a year plus. Can take weeks to get results back.
 
Signify Plus with Laya for a young adult is about €54 euro per month for a young adult aged 22.

The health insurance companies want to keep their young people on the books. If you ring them they will give you a decent young person's scheme if they have it.
 
Not to mention the possible delay getting the cancer diagnosed in the public system in the first place, outside of screening programs. Urgent appoint for a dermatologist for a skin check was a 1 year wait for me. Wait time for colonoscopies/endoscopies or an MRI/CT is a year plus. Can take weeks to get results back.

I would be astounded if those time frames were typical of urgent cases going through the public system.
 
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