Top Ten Health Insurance Tips

When you are switching health insurer or buying health insurance for the first time

there are a few points that you should get them to watch out for:

1. Cover for private accommodation in public hospitals in most cases does not guarantee fast

     access to treatment. Make sure you have a plan with some access to private hospitals.

2. Check that hospitals local to you are not excluded and don’t have excesses applied to

     accommodation.

3. Check that there are no shortfalls on specific treatments or procedures such as

     radiotherapy, chemotherapy, orthopaedic.

4. Check that you have full cover for day case treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy

     and colonoscopies in private hospitals – these procedures account for 60 -70% of all

     health insurance claims.

5. Try to ensure you have cover for direct settlement MRI and CT scan centres which are

     local to you. This means you won’t have to wait to get access and you don’t need to pay if

     they are classified as ‘direct settlement’ centres.

6. Try to ensure you have cover for major cardiac procedures in the Blackrock Clinic, Mater

     Private & Beacon Hospitals.

7. Check that there is a low outpatient excess, this will ensure you get more money back

     from your outpatient expenses.

8. If you want cover for day-to-day benefits such as GP, Physiotherapist and dentist ensure

     that you are getting long term value for money – check the cover for each benefit & how

     many visits are covered per benefit

9. Check for any other benefits that may be of interest to you – health screening, maternity

     benefits, kid’s benefits etc.

10. Consider the health insurance needs of all the family individually – consider different plans

     & levels of cover for each.