Laya Laya Simply Connect Plus

Dear Snowyb and others,

Would you have any advice for me? We are due to renew our private health insurance on January 1st 2018. We are a family of 5:2 adults 3 children under 18, the first one turning 18 later in the year but still in full-time education.
We currently have Laya Simply Connect Plus for the 2 adults and Essential Connect Family for the children.

Wee had been with the VHI for many years but changed to Laya last year. My principal reason for changing insurers was the lower excess on hospital day cases. So far I have no complaints.
We are all healthy thankfully, we have no major illnesses or health conditions. Just the usual family minor mishaps, trips to the doctor with winter viruses etc. We live in Dublin.
We usually take the semi private cover in private hospitals.

For 2018 our policies for 2 adults and 3 children is going to cost Euro 2738.60. Apparently this is an increase of Euro 90 on last year.
That is for
Simply Connect Plus x 2
Essential Connect Family x 3

Is there any better policy out there that we should be considering?
Thank you in advance for your consideration of my query.

music,

An alternative plan worth considering is as follows;
1.Laya Simply Connect; price 1179. All public, private and 3 hi-tech hospitals covered. Private/hi-tech excess 150 x 2 max per year for admissions.
Private/hi-tech day case excess 50 per visit. Day to day cover 500 max per person per year.

The day to day limit for both plans increased from 1st December 2017.
Simply Connect Plus plan day to day limit increased from 500 to 1000 per year per person.
Simply Connect plan day to day limit increased from 300 to 500 per year per person.

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VHI alternative plan as follows;

1. VHI PMI 43 16; price 1171pa; all public, private and 3 hi-tech hospitals covered. Private/hi-tech excess 150 per admission and private/hi-tech
day case excess 50 per visit. Good day to day cover, limit per year per person 3200.
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Note; day to day cover on this plan will change to 50% refund for gp, consultant visits etc.
Details as follows under the last heading, 'other benefits'.
https://www.hia.ie/news/vhi-benefit-changes-31122017-and-01012018


If day to day cover is not a priority, the following plan is worth considering;
2. VHI PMI 40 15; price 1049pa; all public, private and Beacon hospital covered,just cardiac cover in Blackrock Clinic and Mater Private, private/hi-tech excess 75 per admission, day case excess 50 per visit. Very limited day to day cover.

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Child Options - Half price offers from 1st January 2018
1. One + Plan; price 148pa; all public, private and 3 hi-tech hospitals covered. Excess 125 per admission or day case.
2. One Plan 150; price 130pa; all public, private and Beacon hospital covered. Excess 150 per admission or day case.

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Regards, Snowyb

Thank you very much Snowy B. Your knowledge is breathtaking and invaluable. It is most appreciated.

Dear Snowyb,
thank you again for your expert knowledge previously. I dont know where we would be without you.

My spouse and I are over the next few days going for Laya Simply connect or Connect Plus again this year. However it has occurred to us that orthopaedic work might be in the offing over the next few years (we are sporty). Our current plan only cover this for 80%. Is there an better plan and if so are there waiting periods. We are availing of the half price kids offer on One plan Family. Is this available no matter what adult plan we take.
Thanking you again most sincerely,

music,

First of all, the plan you are on at the moment, Laya Simply Connect Plus fully covers orthopaedic surgery 100%. Both laya plans 'simply connect'
and 'simply connect plus' fully cover orthopaedic surgery in all private and hi-tech hospitals. No shortfall and no excess applies.
I think you may be confusing it with VHI plans which have 80% orthopaedic cover for hip and knee replacement surgery.

For pre -existing illnesses and conditions at the time of switching, there is a 2 year waiting time applied from the date you first switched to Laya.
For example, if you were receiving treatment for knees or hips before switching and eventually needed a hip or knee replacement, a 2 year wait
would apply. Also, if you only started symptoms after switching to Laya, there would be no waiting as it would be classed as a new illness.

So, if you switched to Laya from January 2017, the 2 year wait will end on 31 December 2018.
There is no need for a better plan as the Simply Connect plans fully cover orthopaedic surgery.

The children's offer with VHI is available regardless of what plan the adults choose.
The adults can stay with Laya Healthcare if you want as VHI allow children to be insured on their own, if you wish.

Hope this explains the situation more clearly.
Regards, Snowyb

Hi,

I'm 45, my wife is 40 and our kids are 11 & 7 and we live in Carlow. Can anyone suggest some alternatives to the Precision 600 Connect that has been proposed in the Renewal letter I received from Laya. Amount quoted is €1,632.
If I am to stick with this policy, does it leave us exposed in anyway that I should be concerned about.

Thanks

D

Dodger30,

Welcome to AAM. Precision 600 Connect is a good plan that covers a good selection of private hospitals that suit your location.
The only concern is the 600 excess amount payable if you are admitted to a private hospital for surgery or treatment.
Once you are ok with this excess amount, its a good plan. There is a risk that if you had 2 private admissions in the same year
you would have to pay 600 x 2.
An alternative option is VHI One Plan 500; price 769pa; all public and private hospitals covered. private excess 500 x 2 max per year
regardless of the number of private admissions. Private day case excess 150 per procedure.

VHI One Plan 500; price per child 107pa; This is also suitable for the children with a reduction in price as part of the half price offer at the
moment.
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Regards, Snowyb

Hi Snowyb,

Thanks very much for your prompt response and the information provided. This is very helpful as most people don't know where to start when it comes to comparing various policies.

Rgds

Dodger30