Hi Queenspawn,
The question being asked relates to Lifetime Community Rating which came into effect on 1st May 2015.
"
Anybody who lives outside of the State on 1 May 2015 and moves to live in Ireland will have 9 months to purchase inpatient private health insurance avoiding the loading under Lifetime Community Rating."
If you returned to Ireland before 1 May 2015, you will have a loading applied to your premium. 2% for every year you are older than age 34, example if you are 47 yrs, a 26% loading will be added to your policy.
If you returned to Ireland after 1 May 2015, you have nine months starting from the date you returned, to take out health insurance with no loading applied.
A lot of information here explaining all about Lifetime Community Rating
http://www.hia.ie/consumer-information/lifetime-community-rating-explained
I'm not sure what company you got quotes from, but there are cheaper options available offering good cover for a family of 3.
Example;
Laya Flex 500 Explore; adult price 661pa; this plan includes 3 levels of hospital cover - public, private and hi-tech hospital cover.
Public Hospitals are all fully covered for inpatient admissions or day case treatment, no charge applies on admission.
Private hospitals are all available on this plan, excess charge 500 payable on admission, 150 excess payable for day case treatment.
Hi-tech hospitals are also available on this plan, cardiac and orthopaedic surgery fully covered on this plan, no charges payable for these surgeries.
All other surgery covered with a 500 excess charge + 200 per night in hi-tech hospitals.
Child Option
Laya Simply Connect plan; child price 239pa; 3 levels of hospital cover included, private and hi-tech hospital excess charge 150 per admission,
good day to day cover, gp, dental visits, consultants visits etc. capped at 300 per year.
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Total family price; 661 + 661 + 239 = 1561pa
This is the basic price, if loadings apply to the adults, they would be added onto the above price.
Its been the subject of many debates here, whether to save the cash to fund medical costs instead of taking out health insurance.
Something you may not be aware of, in all the public hospitals in Ireland, including childrens hospitals, there is a nightly charge of 75 euro
if a person is admitted for surgery or treatment. This is capped at 75 x 10 or 750 per year per person. So health insurance covers this cost
in the public hospitals and also gives you the broader options of all the private and hi-tech hospitals if waiting lists are too long. 2 years is
nearly the norm now for a lot of surgery in the public system, unless its an emergency.
A lot of food for thought, hope this simplifies it a little.
Regards, Snowyb