Cut your Health Insurance Costs

Health insurance is one of the most expensive insurances available on the market. Most people search for the best quote every year for their car insurance, why don't we shop around for the best value health insurance as well?

You are free to switch between the three main health insurance providers in Ireland and you will not have to serve any waiting period, all pre existing conditions are covered, as long as your cover is continuous. The insurers are obliged to provide the cover and the costs are the same if your 25 or 75, this is due to the 'community rating' system which operates in Ireland.

If you were to cancel your health insurance and try and reinstate it a year later say, you may have to serve a 6 month waiting period for new conditions and 5 years for existing conditions, so it is important to keep cover going if at all possible.

There is a bewildering amount if plans available, speak to your advisor or compare the plans and cover provided on the Health Insurance Authorities (HIA) website http://www.hia.ie/.

The health insurers offer cheaper rates to company schemes then they do to individual members of the public. By law these company rates are available to everyone, this is not something that the companies shout about. There may be a plan which is identical to your own in every way and it may have a different name but can be dramatically cheaper.

Below please see the links to the company scheme details for Aviva, VHI and Quinn Healthcare.

http://www.avivahealth.ie/employers/
http://www.vhi.ie/jsp/employers/healthplans.jsp
http://www.quinn-healthcare.com/for_employers.htm

Remember you are entitled to be quoted for these company plans, make that call and save some money.

FS