IS VHI’S HALF PRICE KIDS’ OFFER THE BEST DEAL?
QMy husband and I are in our mid-40s with three children. Is VHI’s half-price offer for kids the best deal for our needs right now?
AThe VHI currently has half-price cover for children on its One Plans and several others. This is a good deal for children and unmatched at the moment. But the One plan isn’t the best deal for adults as it covers few routine medical expenses such as physio, dental, optical, GP and A&E care. This type of cover is valuable as you can use it to claim back much of your premium. It’s normally reserved for mid-range corporate plans that are aimed at big companies who buy cover in bulk with help from professional advisors.
Ordinary folk don’t usually get professional advice. Some simply stick to the same one year after year. Many plans, including One, cost more than the corporate plans but provide only basic cover. They are the most profitable for insurers who therefore want you to keep buying them. Accordingly, the half-price offer for children is restricted to such plans.
You can get the best of both worlds by splitting your cover. Put your children on the One Plan, while you and your husband go on a good corporate plan such as the VHI’s PMI 4316. (The obscure names insurers put on the best-value plans seems to suggest they don’t want ordinary people to buy them!)
PMI 4316 is cheaper than One (for adults) with better benefits (including routine medical cover and lower excesses.) If you claim back what you’re entitled to, you can get much of your premium back.
QWhat are Ryanair’s new check-in rules? Can I or can’t I take a bag with me when I fly with it next month? Is this just another way for Ryanair to make money?
AThe new rules don’t apply until November 1, so you should be fine. Until then, passengers can take two bags. One measuring 55cmx40cmx20cm – the standard airport wheelie-bag size – and a smaller 35cmx20cmx20cm.
From November 1, you can take only the smaller bag onboard (plus a duty free bag) unless you pay extra for special boarding privileges.
The larger bag will be checked into the hold for free – as long as it’s under 10kg and within the measurement limits. You can take two bags onboard if you pay for priority boarding – costing €5 at the time of booking. To soften the blow, checked-in luggage weight limits have been increased from 15kg to 20kg and the price reduced from €35 to €25.
QIs there any way around age-loading on health insurance?
AAge-loading – or Lifetime Community Rating to give its full title – is a way of rewarding people to take out cover when they are younger and penalising those who wait until they are older and likely to make more claims. For every year adults are above 34, there is a 2% loading on your policy up to a maximum of 70%.
There are some exemptions. If you ever had health cover before, even as part of your parents’ policy as a young adult, you can get a reduction on this loading.
You may also get it reduced in certain circumstances if you or your partner lived abroad – or were on social welfare since 2008.
There’s a handy guide to this on irishlifehealth.ie