Irish Life have told me that I will lose the group discount at renewal because I am no longer employed with the company under which the group scheme operates. I would have expected that I could get it via CU membership or something like that but they weren't clear on that. I'm currently paying €1,394 (adult) + €339 (child). Might it be possible and more cost effective to insure each with different providers - I think I saw that mentioned in some thread here a while back?
Ideally I'd like similar cover to that provided by 4D Health 2 and in recent years the amount of day to day expenses claimed have been such that not insuring for these would not seem cost effective so I would like to keep similar cover in that respect.
Thanks.
Thanks @Sue Ellen.
Do you mean that the CU group discount no longer applies or that some insurers/policies don't offer any group discount?
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22045086/ Not a specific answer, but I thought it was an interesting interview and did give some pointers to people. Mostly ring them, give it lots of time, have your questions ready.
Thanks @Sue Ellen - I was hoping that if I switch (from Irish Life to, say, VHI) then I can just do it online?
Also, apologies, I forgot that I had posted on this topic a while ago here so if one of the mods wants to merge the threads then that's fine by me.
Health Insurance - Alternative to Irish Life 4D Health 2?
I'm currently on this policy for myself (net premium €1,267, mid 50s) and 16 year old son (€315). My employer pays 90% so there's BIK on that and I have to claim some tax relief manually. I'm leaving work and will be paying for cover myself for the foreseeable future. As ever I'm bamboozled...www.askaboutmoney.com
I understand but, to be honest, I'd be skeptical of getting unbiased and authoritative info/advice that way. A few years ago I had to have surgery and trying to get Irish Life themselves to tell me if/how I was covered was a nightmare. I couldn't figure it out from their documentation so rang them and ended up little the wiser. I had three procedure codes but the surgeon wasn't sure which would apply until he operated. Even when I asked if I was likely to face a bill/excess of hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of euros they wouldn't give me a straight answer. It was really frustrating and added stress that I could've done without going in for surgery. Reading between the lines from talking to others I got the impression that what often happens is that the bill to the insurer just uses whatever procedure code has most cover. In the end I was fully covered for the surgery, related services and hospital stay (€15k+ all in) bar an excess of €150 payable to the Mater Private. But it would've been less stressful knowing that in advance...
Sorry to hear of the stress all that caused. I'm not sure why they weren't straight forward with you. Perhaps because it sounded like a more complicated surgical procedure but they should have at least been able to explain what the cover would be for each scenario or procedure code.I understand but, to be honest, I'd be skeptical of getting unbiased and authoritative info/advice that way. A few years ago I had to have surgery and trying to get Irish Life themselves to tell me if/how I was covered was a nightmare. I couldn't figure it out from their documentation so rang them and ended up little the wiser. I had three procedure codes but the surgeon wasn't sure which would apply until he operated. Even when I asked if I was likely to face a bill/excess of hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of euros they wouldn't give me a straight answer. It was really frustrating and added stress that I could've done without going in for surgery. Reading between the lines from talking to others I got the impression that what often happens is that the bill to the insurer just uses whatever procedure code has most cover. In the end I was fully covered for the surgery, related services and hospital stay (€15k+ all in) bar an excess of €150 payable to the Mater Private. But it would've been less stressful knowing that in advance...
Just to be clear, the issue here was with Irish Life not being willing or able to give me clarification in advance about what exactly was or was not covered. Neither the consultant/surgeon nor the Mater Private were at fault. As I say, in the end, practically everything was covered but it would've been a lot less stressful to know that a priori. Maybe I was just unlucky with the people that I got on the phone. They really weren't the best generally to be honest...Your experience regarding the surgery and confirmation sounds as horrific as my relatives one which was in the Mater Private also
Thanks again @Starrynights (and @Sue Ellen).Cheapest corporate plans on the market are Laya Inspire and VHI PMI 52 10. Sue mentioned PMI 0710 above which is a very good option. At that price Company plan plus level 1.3 is also a good option.
I am likely to start treatment (for something covered by both policies) under the Irish Life policy and continue treatment under the VHI policy. Could that be a problem that would mean that I should stick with Irish Life for the next year or is it ok to switch cover while in the middle of treatment?
It's only as much of issue as either insurer makes it. Officially you have every right to switch at renewal regardless of the treatments you're getting. As you are getting treatment you probably have your procedure codes handy. Might be worth checking with the VHI if that code in particular is covered. You can be completely open with them that you want to switch to 52 10 and that is the treatment you are currently getting. They can't discriminate based on future claims. All that matters is that the plan covers it. Where some issue may lie is which part of the the treatment does each insurer cover. Ie. Irish life up to renewal, VHI after start date. But that's up to the insurers to sort out with the hospital. This is where you might get some grief being thrown back and forth in a they should cover it, not us scenario, with the hospital potentially looking at you to pay up in the mean time. But ultimately the insurers should cover it as long as the plans cover it.I understand @Sue Ellen but I would really like to switch if at all possible so am curious if it's an know issue to do so while treatment is ongoing or is perfectly manageable.
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