Waste and Inefficienty at the VHI

W

WaterWater

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Last year my son decided that he didn't want to be insured with VHI anymore. After contacting them to cancel his policy he continued to receive reminders that "payment was due", "last chance to pay" etc etc
Now six months later these letters have started again. I contacted VHI on his behalf to ask why. The response I got was "Oh the computer appears to have activated his account". Since then he is receiving "payment due", "last chance" letters all over again!!
Stamps, envelopes, paper, computer time, staff time what a waste of money.

When I see these guys whinging constantly with the hand out always looking for more and more money from their subscribers because they can't cope it makes my blood boil. Will they ever get their act together. For my money these have to be rated as the the number 1 Tosser Company!
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

Another letter from them today with yet another VHI Booklet. I wonder would they be interested in purchasing some of their stationery back....I could do it cheap for a bulk lot.....
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

I've moved this to the 'letting off' steam section. I agree with you that the Back Office administration at the VHI is a long way short of Best Practice. However I find their call centre staff to be very coureous and helpfull
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

I have often wondered why VHI feel the need to actually have 'bricks and mortar' public offices. They have had one in Dun Laoghaire for many years. What are these offices actually for?? AFAIK BUPA or Vivas don't have them.

If VHI are so broke, why don't they close them down and make a killing on the property value?
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

BUPA had an office in one of the houses on Fitzwilliam Street last time I heard.
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

BUPAs main centre of operations is in Fermoy, Co. Cork. They employ a lot of people down there - call centre, claims processing, sales, etc.
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

What really interests me is the fact that VHI seem to be in possession of a sentient computer which has, of it's own volition, reactivated someone’s account. If this is the case VHI need never worry about money again as this technology is worth billions.
Happy days…
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

Hi Purple,

Thats my word for the day - ! I notice one definition is "barely [size=-1] conscious[/size]", does this describe the VHI in general?

ajapale
 
Re: VHI wasting my money.

Hi AJ,

Perhaps I should have said sapient ;-)
Personally I find the VHI slow and inefficient but I expect no more from a public sector body. They are no worse than any other state body I have dealt with.
 
23 letters from VHI in one day

I received a call from a consultant a while ago asking me to sign some forms for some treatment over the past 4 years or so which should have been completed at the time of treatment but had not.

I signed the documents and dropped them back to the consultant who obviously forwarded to the VHI for payment. Today I got TWENTY THREE letters from VHI, one for each form and a letter saying the bill was paid in full. If this is indicative of the waste generated by VHI it's no wonder our premiums are so high.

Must be a record.

Roy
 
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Re: 23 letters from VHI in one day

There is no doubt that this type of waste of money and resources should be brought to the attention of the VHI, The department of health, Joe Duffy, Eddie Hobbs etc in such a way that it causes the utmost embarassment. I for one have forwarded details of this thread to the VHI.....I wonder will they notice....
 
I've moved this thread again! On relfection "Waste and Inefficiency at a major health insurance provider" properly belongs here in the insurance section.

ajapale
 
Waste indeed.

The health service is full of it. An almost criminal waste of public funds.
 
RS2K said:
Waste indeed.

The health service is full of it. An almost criminal waste of public funds.
Click to expand...
The VHI is a private health insurance underwriter and not part of the health service per se.
 
ClubMan said:
The VHI is a private health insurance underwriter and not part of the health service per se.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that piece of groundbreaking news!
 
RS2K said:
Thanks for that piece of groundbreaking news!
Click to expand...
No problem. I was just a bit mystified by your off topic comments about wastage of public funds in the health service which have little or nothing to do with this thread so I thought that you might be a bit confused.
 
Hi Clubman,
The VHI is a public company and does operate in the health sector so many people would (rightly or wrongly) lump it in when talking about public sector inefficiencies in the health sector. You can be a bit pedantic at times (just a little).
 
"Health service" is generally synonymous with "public health service". I'm not sure what you mean by the VHI being a "public" company but it is not a Plc or anything like that. It is not part of the public health system. One person's pedantry is another person's accuracy.
 
I agree with Clubman I think its good to be as accurate as possible in the terms we use.

In fairness to Purple and WW, this is partly my fault in that I have moved the thread from general discussion forums (LOS and Great Debates) to a very specific forum (Insurance). While it is here could I ask that we focus on the specific complaints levelled against the VHI and how they might be addressed?

The complaints focus on the VHI's back office administration and in particular their IT system which seems to spew out inappropriate letters.

I know that the VHI operates a Quality System perhaps the complaints could be addressed to the people who operate or assess the quality system?

Business Excellence Vhi Healthcare’s commitment to excellence was recognised by the retention in January 2004 of the Mark of Excellence award from Excellence Ireland. In 2003 Vhi Healthcare became the first Irish organisation to receive this prestigious All-Ireland business quality accreditation for meeting the EFQM (European Foundation Quality Management) quality standard.
Click to expand...

Does anyone know if there is a standing Dail Committee on Public Bodies. Perhaps it would be usefull to report the two specific complaints to them?

ajapale
 
When my own son had 4 wisdom teeth extracted in Mount Carmel Hospital and mostly paid for by the VHI they insisted that he eat something after the operation. He wasn't interested but reluctantly agreed to eat a spoonful of yogurt. VHI was charged for bed and food. Food!! So I agree with RS2K the whole health service including the VHI are involved in a criminal waste of everyones money.
 
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