Out-patient cover refers to any private visits to a consultant, gp, dentist, physiotherapist and a list of other practitioners. Company Care Plus plan offers a refund of 75% of the cost for consultant and gp visits, also 50% refund for all other private visits to dentists,physio, etc.
This plan has a 1euro excess, this means that your day to day medical expenses are not subject to a qualifying amount before you can claim.
So, even if you just have a couple of visits in a year, you will be refunded 75% or 50% of the cost incurred.
For example, Plan B Options has an outpatient excess of 250 per person. This means a persons allowable expenses have to be higher than 250 in one year, before they are eligible for a refund.
The Teachers Plan with VHI has hardly any outpatient cover. If you click on the comparison below, and click on the drop down 'outpatient' - you can see line by line the difference between the two plans.
www.hia.ie/ci/comparison/step3?203&198/
Regarding hospital cover(inpatient), there is nothing on the Teachers Plan that isn't also covered on Company Care Plus. In fact, overall Co Care+ has extras, for example:
1. There is no 80% restriction for orthopaedic operations in private or hi-tech hospitals.
2. Just a 50euro shortfall per night for a private bed in a private hospital.
3. The shortfall per night in Mater Private or Blackrock Clinic is 175euro - with Teachers Plan it is 260euro per night.
4. Extra convalescence cover per night.
All this - and at a cheaper price!
Note the plans recommended with VHI as alternatives, are also identical to the Teachers Plan.
The only one difference being the 100euro hospital excess.
This means you pay 100 if you are admitted to a private or hi-tech hospital for surgery or treatment for a minimum of one night stay.
It doesn't apply to admissions to public hospitals.
These plans are even cheaper again.
The other recommended plans with Laya are also identical to Teachers Plan - regarding hospital cover.
They also have the added extra of good outpatient cover -50% refund for gp,consultants etc.
Again at a much cheaper price.
That's if you are happy to pay a hospital excess of 100euro, if admitted to a private hospital for surgery or treatment.
I hope this explains things a bit better.
Snowyb