With over 300 plans available on the market, it’s now more important than ever to shop around and make sure you’re getting the most from your health insurance policy.
Some plans allow you to claim for everyday medical expenses like visiting GPs, physiotherapists, specialist consultants and even alternative practitioners like chiropractors or acupuncturists.
More and more corporate plans are now being developed which carry a €1 out-patient excess meaning that members can claim back on everyday medical expenses straight away. All insurers are also offering a “Scan & Claim” facility which allows clients to upload a receipt to their health insurer who will then refund any payment due to the customers’ bank account within 5 working days. Consumers with a lot of everyday medical expenses should be wary of plans with a high out-patient excess as this makes it more difficult to be able to claim back on such expenses. If you notice that your plan has an out-patient excess of €100 or more you should speak with your insurer or broker to check if there is a more suitable equivalent available.
There are corporate plans available across all 3 providers that will allow members to claim back 50%-75% of the cost of everyday medical expenses. Irish Life Health also have a suite of plans (Be Fit range) that will allow members to claim back fully on their first visit to their GP, A&E and specialist consultant and for every subsequent claim after that they will be able to claim back 50% of the cost of these visits.
Our message to consumers is to really think about what you need. If you are likely to have a number of out-patient or day to day expenses, it may be best to opt for a plan with a very low out-patient excess. Do the maths before switching. If you don’t have more than 4 or 5 visits to everyday practitioners then it may not be of benefit to you to be on one of these corporate plans. For the best corporate plans on the market covering your day to day expenses see the example in the table below (figure 1). All of these plans allow members to maximise the amount they can claim on everyday medical expenses.
To ensure your plan remains the most suitable for you contact us today and speak with to one of our health insurance experts on (01) 420 0999.
Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. A member of the Irish Life Group Ltd. which is part of the Great-West Lifeco Group of companies. Irish Life Health dac is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Vhi Healthcare DAC trading as Vhi Healthcare is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Laya Healthcare Limited, trading as Laya Healthcare and Laya Life, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Telephone calls may be recorded for quality control and training purposes.