Blog

21 May 2014

Reduce your Health Insurance Costs – Take a big excess to maximise your savings. The health insurance market has taken a real beating since the start of the year on the back of numerous price increases across the market. Thankfully, the insurers recognise that action is required if they have any chance of keeping cash-strapped consumers on their books. They have all launched various options which, if you are prepared to accept a certain level of risk, could prove very attractive in terms

18 May 2014

Accessing Healthcare Services in Ireland There are two ways of accessing healthcare services in Ireland, either as a public or private patient. Every Irish citizen or person who is ordinarily resident in the country has access to public hospital services. However, these services are not free and you may be subject to waiting times depending on your medical condition. This can often be the case for certain orthopaedic procedures such as hip or knee replacements. Unless you hold a medical card,

7 May 2014

Private health insurance market get a shot in the arm with new tailored cover plans The Irish health insurance market has undergone significant change in the last few years. The market continues to contract with over 250,000 consumers cancelling their cover since 2008. However, there is potential good news for those consumers thinking of taking out cover once again. Thankfully, we have now active competition with four health insurers, Vhi Healthcare, Laya Healthcare, Aviva Health and GloHealth

1 May 2014

The health insurance market has taken a real beating since the start of the year on the back of numerous price increases across the market. Thankfully, the insurers recognise that action is required if they have any chance of keeping cash-strapped consumers on their books. They have all launched various options which, if you are prepared to accept a certain level of risk, could prove very attractive in terms of keeping health cover in place. What do we mean by risk? Put it simply, if you are pr

25 March 2014

Health Insurance considerations for those over 50. Health insurance costs are continuing to spiral with VHI announcing another increase on a range of their corporate plans from 15th April next by between 5-11%. However, having quality healthcare cover in place has never been more important, especially for older consumers. All health insurance members need to brace themselves for a shock when their renewal notice lands. The latest price hikes across all insurers combined with the recent reducti

14 March 2014

Almost every health insurance member will have to shop around for better value on the back of the latest price hikes. The good news is that with over 275 different options across 4 health insurers, Vhi Healthcare, Laya Healthcare, Aviva Health and GloHealth, there are plenty of alternatives worth considering. Splitting your cover is an excellent way of reducing your family costs, e.g. put the children on a lower cost plan to the adults. All providers have ‘offers’ on the market for

13 March 2014

Are you paying too much for your health cover? Even though health insurance costs have spiralled this year, there are still too many consumers over-paying for their cover. This is due to a combination of inertia; fear of switching; and the complexity of trawling through all the various options. If you haven’t reviewed your cover in the last two years; or if you have all the family insured on the same level of cover; or if you’re paying for certain extras such as a private room, the

1 January 2014

Key Myths associated with Private Health Insurance Public treatment is free………..no it’s not. I can only join certain plans…….not true – you can join any plan on the market They won’t take me on…………..not true – they must take you on regardless of your age, gender or medical history I can cancel my cover at anytime…..not anymore – you must wait till your renewal date I have a medical card &nd

1 January 2014

Current Special Offers on Private Health Insurance – Summary VHI ½ price kids @ €131 each on 4 plans from 28th Dec next. Remember split cover! (One Plan Family, Parent & Kids Excess, Nurses Plan Select & Teachers Plan Select) we recommend the Parent & Kids Excess as this covers public and private hospitals (€75 excess on all admissions to private hospitals) Members should consider splitting their cover, i.e. select this option for the children and leave a

1 July 2012

Health Insurance considerations for those considering switching their cover; The key consideration when either joining or switching your health insurance is to make sure that the accommodation cover meets your requirements. Always ask the insurer or advisor to explain the following to you; how the new plan compares to your previous cover which benefits are you losing and which benefits are you gaining are there any upgrades in your cover and if yes, are there any upgrades rules that you ne