Your own budget is probably the most important thing to consider when it comes to health insurance. Figure out how much money per month you can afford to spend on health insurance and go from there.
Entry-level plans All three of the big health insurers in Ireland – VHI, Laya and Irish Life Health – have entry-level plans. For VHI this is called PublicPlus Care, Laya has Assure Protect, and Irish Life has First Cover. These plans cost approximately €500 per year for an adult aged 34 or younger. Semi-private corporate plans These are the gold standard. You’ll be covered in all the public and private hospitals. You will also be covered for major heart operations in the Blackrock Clinic, Mater Private and the Beacon.
Myths and mistakes People often don’t switch health insurance providers as they believe they have to re-serve their waiting period, but this is not true. You get full credit for your existing cover and you can’t be charged extra for switching. As long as all procedures are covered on the old and new plan, they have to pay out. Families also don’t have to be on the same plan – younger adults can be moved to a lower level of cover if that’s all they require, while still staying on the same policy.