Health Insurance Has anyone successfully negotiated with any of the health insurance providers ?

[MrEarl]

Hello,

Rather than move provider, or reduce your level of cover, has anyone successfully managed to negotiate a discount or negotiate extra benefits, when discussing renewal options with their existing provider ?

It seems to me that there should be opportunity to negotiate a discount, or get a few extras thrown in. Yet, I personally have never found VHI willing to engage when I've tried to negotiate with them in previous years.

Personally, I think we should all be applying a lot more pressure on the insurance providers as the prices just seem to keep going one way, we have the option to move to a rival company etc.

So, has anyone else had any success and if so, what have you achieved (in general terms) and from which provider please ?

Thanks.

 

[NOAH]

The only way you can negotiate is if you have a policy quote from say laya and your existing is with VHI and its due for renewal. Now the laya will be cheaper but by pressing VHI they will come up with a policy as good as laya and a lot cheaper than the renewal price. Most people tend to stay with the existing. I have advised a few peopel to go down this route and they got good savings, ie €800.00. But all these deals will be recovered by the next price increase.

 

[RedOnion]

To the best of my knowledge, community rating legislation effectively prohibits insurers from offering special deals, save for group schemes which can have a maximum 10% discount.
As Noah mentioned, Many will have similar benefits under a different product which you can get an idea of using HIA website.