VHI Should I renew Parents & Kids Options and One Plan policies

V

Vourneen

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I've spent days trying to work my way through HIA website and am utterly confused. My husband and I are retired, in our midsixties and want to keep the level of cover we have with Parents & Kids Options as I have stage iv cancer and he has high blood pressure and orthopaedic problems. Our adult children are 23 and 36 respectively and are currently on vhi One Plan. I was wondering what plans are better value for us with a similar level of cover (or better). Our renewal date was actually Jan 1st so I have to have reached a decision before the 14th!
Kind regards
 
Hi Vourneen,

There are 2 alternative options with VHI to consider with the same cover and at lower prices.
1. One Plan Extra; price 1391pa; same hospital cover as before, no excesses.

2. Plan PMI 42 15; price on 1 Jan 2016 is 1560pa, same hospital cover as before, excellent day to day cover and extra radiology cover.

Note; VHI will impose a 1 yr waiting time for the extra day to day + radiology cover if you are aged 55 - 64yrs, or a 2 year waiting if you are aged
65 yrs or older, for Plan 42 15. You don't lose any cover whatsoever while waiting, you would stay on Parents & Kids Options day to day cover while waiting.
There is no waiting times for hospital cover on either of the above plans as they are identical to Parents and Kids Options plan.
This plan increased to 1648 on 2nd Jan 2016 but the cheaper price applies to you because your renewal date is 1st Jan 2016.

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For the 23 and 36 yr olds, the VHI plans they are on at the moment are best priced including 3 levels of hospital cover, public, private and hi-tech cover. Any cheaper plans would mean either taking on a higher hospital excess and losing some or all hi-tech hospital cover.

An alternative option with Laya Healthcare, would be similarly priced as before but would also include good day to day cover.
3. Simply Connect; same hospital cover as before, max hospital excess 150 x 2 per year, max day to day refund 300 per year.
36 yr old price 999pa, 23 yr old price 681pa.
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Just to mention, Laya healthcare would have full orthopaedic cover ie for hip and knee replacement surgery in private and hi-tech hospitals,
compared to VHI(80% cover). This may be an option worth considering for your husband. The following 2 plans each have a capped inpatient hospital excess, per year, 150 x 1, or 100 x 2, the day case excess is 50 per visit for both plans; there is no excess for any public hospital.

4. Simplicity Plan; price 1044pa; same hospital cover as before but with a max excess 100 x 2 per year. Day case excess is 50 per visit. There is good day to day cover included, the first 100 is not allowed. This day to day cover applies straight away, no waiting applies with Laya, regardless of age. Excesses only apply for admissions or day case in private/hi-tech hospitals, no excess for public hospitals.

5. Simply Connect Plus; price 1099pa; same hospital cover as before but with a max excess of 150 x 1 per year. Day case excess is 50 per visit.
This plan includes good day to day cover, max refund 500 per year, 1 euro excess for expenses. No waiting for day to day cover with Laya, extra
cover applies straight away.
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So overall there are plenty of savings to be achieved by switching plans, without compromising on cover.

Regards, Snowyb
 
That's brilliant, thank you so much for your help, Snowyb. I was totally unaware of the VHI plan PMI 42 15. One thing though, on the Private hosp. + private room PMI 42 15 cover is €50 daily excess (no mention of tech charges) wheareas the same Parents + Kids cover is semi-priv + 100% tech charges. Does this mean that PMI 42 15 doesn't include tech. charges and, if so, how would that affect me? What are 'tech. charges'?

So, as I understand it, if I change to PMI 42 15 I will have exactly the same benefits as I currently have on Parents and Kids for another year (two in my husband's case) but I'll be paying €200 less each and ultimately we will have a better policy with extra day to day benefits and radiology. My husband is reluctant to move from VHI so given the timeframe I won't be able to persuade him to look at Laya but it's an interesting option to review for next year.

Re my adult children I note that VHI One plan mentions that it covers 100% tech charges for a private room and Laya doesn't mention these charges. I don't understand this. I'm feeling bamboozled. All things being equal which plan do you think offers the best cover/value for money for my young adults of the following:- Laya Simplicity, Laya Simply Connect or VHI One Plan? I should also mention that the 23 yr old will be working in Europe for a few months this year but will need cover.

Many thanks again,
Kind regards, Vourneen
 
Sorry, I also meant to ask as I have a pre-existing condition (cancer) and my husband has cardiac and knee problems does this affect changing from one plan to another in VHI?
Kind regards, V
 
Vourneen,

First of all, both your pre-existing conditions DO NOT affect changing from one VHI plan to another. Hospital cover is identical so no waiting applies.

Regarding, the private hospital/private room cover, Parents and Kids Options plan covers a person upto the semi-private rate and the patient pays the difference. This cash shortfall could be 300+ extra per night depending on the private hospital involved. 100% tech charges means that the surgery is fully covered but the accommodation is covered upto a semi-private room and you pay the difference for a private room.
Plan PMI 42 15 has extra cover regarding a private room in a private hospital, the shortfall per night is just 50 euro compared to 300+ per night.
Again surgery is fully covered on plan PMI 42 15, upto semi private room and you pay 50 extra per night for a private room.
Now, as its extra cover, it is classed as an upgrade in cover, so this particular section would be subject to a 2 year waiting time for both of your pre-existing conditions.
You would still have the option of a private room in a private hospital for 300+ per night, Parents and Kids Options cover would apply until 2 year waiting is over.
You would have the same hospital cover as before otherwise, plus the extra day to day cover after the relevant waiting times are served, at the cheaper price.

For your sons, the 23 yr old would probably be better staying with VHI One Plan as he may require VHI International cover for his time abroad.
The 36 yr old could switch to Simply Connect with Laya if he wanted extra day to day cover for the same price as VHI one plan.
Hospital cover is the same for both plans.

Regards, Snowyb
 
snowyb said:
Vourneen,

First of all, both your pre-existing conditions DO NOT affect changing from one VHI plan to another. Hospital cover is identical so no waiting applies.

Regarding, the private hospital/private room cover, Parents and Kids Options plan covers a person upto the semi-private rate and the patient pays the difference. This cash shortfall could be 300+ extra per night depending on the private hospital involved. 100% tech charges means that the surgery is fully covered but the accommodation is covered upto a semi-private room and you pay the difference for a private room.
Plan PMI 42 15 has extra cover regarding a private room in a private hospital, the shortfall per night is just 50 euro compared to 300+ per night.
Again surgery is fully covered on plan PMI 42 15, upto semi private room and you pay 50 extra per night for a private room.
Now, as its extra cover, it is classed as an upgrade in cover, so this particular section would be subject to a 2 year waiting time for both of your pre-existing conditions.
You would still have the option of a private room in a private hospital for 300+ per night, Parents and Kids Options cover would apply until 2 year waiting is over.
You would have the same hospital cover as before otherwise, plus the extra day to day cover after the relevant waiting times are served, at the cheaper price.

For your sons, the 23 yr old would probably be better staying with VHI One Plan as he may require VHI International cover for his time abroad.
The 36 yr old could switch to Simply Connect with Laya if he wanted extra day to day cover for the same price as VHI one plan.
Hospital cover is the same for both plans.

Regards, Snowyb
Click to expand...
snowyb said:
Vourneen,

First of all, both your pre-existing conditions DO NOT affect changing from one VHI plan to another. Hospital cover is identical so no waiting applies.

Regarding, the private hospital/private room cover, Parents and Kids Options plan covers a person upto the semi-private rate and the patient pays the difference. This cash shortfall could be 300+ extra per night depending on the private hospital involved. 100% tech charges means that the surgery is fully covered but the accommodation is covered upto a semi-private room and you pay the difference for a private room.
Plan PMI 42 15 has extra cover regarding a private room in a private hospital, the shortfall per night is just 50 euro compared to 300+ per night.
Again surgery is fully covered on plan PMI 42 15, upto semi private room and you pay 50 extra per night for a private room.
Now, as its extra cover, it is classed as an upgrade in cover, so this particular section would be subject to a 2 year waiting time for both of your pre-existing conditions.
You would still have the option of a private room in a private hospital for 300+ per night, Parents and Kids Options cover would apply until 2 year waiting is over.
You would have the same hospital cover as before otherwise, plus the extra day to day cover after the relevant waiting times are served, at the cheaper price.

For your sons, the 23 yr old would probably be better staying with VHI One Plan as he may require VHI International cover for his time abroad.
The 36 yr old could switch to Simply Connect with Laya if he wanted extra day to day cover for the same price as VHI one plan.
Hospital cover is the same for both plans.

Regards, Snowyb
Click to expand...
 
Snowyb
Thank you for all your help. I very much appreciate it. My mind is now at rest and I'll go ahead with PMI 42 15 for us, one plan for the 23 yr old and Simply Connect for his older sibling.
Again many thanks, Vourneen
 
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