If you are reading this section you are probably considering taking out a Health Insurance product. We have tried to answer a number of the most common questions asked to the staff at Paul Ryan Indepednant Pensions below: 

Q. What will Paul Ryan do for me?

We try to give you a personalised service so that you can select the right product to meet your specific budget and needs. Firstly, our dedicated team of people will review your individual situation and we will work with you to try to select a plan that fits. There are three providers offering health insurance in the Irish market, Aviva, Quinn and the VHI. Sometimes we dont have the right product for you but we guarantee that we can refer you to somebody who does! All we ask is for Paul Ryan to be allowed a no obligation review of your Health Insurance situation. We are pretty confident that we can always provide value for money and the best product for you. 

Our team will compare the various policies from different providers (3 on the market) and we will generally make recommendations based on a number of key factors outlined below:

1. Level of benefits offered on the policy

2. The pricing structure of the policy

3. The actual processing of the systems by the current providers in the market

4. The illnesses covered and not covered in the policy documents

5. Additional benefits to suit your needs

In a nut shell, we aim to make it easier for you by doing the "donkey work" and reading the finer details to ensure that when you select a product you do so knowning that it is the correct policy for you and your family.

Q. Why do I need medical insurance?

A. With most types of insurance you need to weigh up the cost of having the insurance and the cost of not having the insurance. If you or your family find yourself in a situation where you have become sick, involved in a accident or have a medical emergency and need to see a consultant. Its at that stage when you value the knowledge of knowing that associated costs and aftercare costs are paid. Medical Insurance will help elevate this worry and can prove to be very beneficial for you if you find yourself in a difficult situation. Remember, nobody believes that they need to have the cover, our experience however tells us otherwise! 

Q. What is the purpose of medical insurance, why is it needed?

A. Every year the cost of medical care has advanced and the treatments associated with good care have increased. People are also living longer which emphasis a case for having the cover.

Did you know:

The current cost of a hip replacement is €22,000

Heart Stents are €60,000

The main reasons why you should consider medical insurance is as follows:

1. When you’re not insured there is a temptation not to go for regular medical check-ups. To leave things on the long finger! The statistics show that you are more likely to develop a serious illness.

2. When you dont have insurance you are more reluctant to attent your GP. This means that people settle for over the counter medicine, even in cases where more advanced medication are needed.

3. Your health is your wealth! we are constantly witnessing in the current climate, large medical bills that can't get paid by people and as a result we see individuals having to move towards an unwanted life style downgrade.

4. If you dont have insurance you can end up in Hospital for conditions that could have been avoided. 

Q What are the benefits of taking out private health insurance?

A. These are the most common benefits of having private health insurance cover

• Plans cover you for private and semi private hospital accommodation
• Faster access to high tech and private hospitals
• A greater choice of medical care 
• More access to consultants  
• Plans cover you for in-hospital consultant services as a private patient
• Plans cover maternity care, care overseas, psychiatric and out-patient benefits

Q What kind of hospital accommodation will I get with private health insurance?

A. Most plans will give you access to two types of accommodation. The types of accommodation offered are semi-private, private and high tech Hospital accommodation. Semi-private accommodation could involve sharing a room with up to 4 or 6 other people. A private room is generally a room provided by the hospital for you. 

In Ireland, we group hospitals into three categories:

• Public hospitals (i.e. hospitals that are owned and operated by the State)
• Private owned and operated hospitals 
• High Tech Hospitals (E.g: The Blackrock Clinic, Mater Private Hospital and the Beacon Hospital)

Q Will my private health insurance cover my consultant's fees?

A. Yes,  most plans will cover a cost but not all plans. This is why you need Independent Advice for health insurance products on the market.   

Q What can I claim for under out-patient benefits?

A. The level of out patient benefits tends to differ from policy to policy, you therefore need to sit down to indentify what it is that you want from the plan. Typically, plans allow you to claim for a portion of the cost of GP, out-patient, consultant and dental visits. Other benefits are sometimes included to cover physiotherapy, sight tests and an allowance for glasses or contact lenses subject to an excess

Q How do I work out my claim for out-patient expenses?

A. Typically you keep the receipts and claim at the end of your policy year. We can calculate this for you but the best thing to do is to keep everyhting together and then we can run a calculation. Remember often policies will have an excess i.e. an amount you must pay before you can begin to claim. Some policies will also give you "allowable expenses" i.e. the GP cost is €50 but you can only claim €20 towards the visit.

Q. What is an exclusion?

A. Private Health Insurance contracts often have clauses or exclusions built into their product where the insurer will not pay a claim. Most of the clauses are understandable but we recommend that you look very closely at this section as some of the cheaper policies on the market may potentially have additional clauses built into your policy. You therefore need independent advice to ensure you have the product to suit your individual needs.

Q What does maximum level of cover mean?

A. There are often limits on the level of cover that is provided on a policy. Your policy may cover you to a maximum number of days or it may have a part cover payout in relation to a particular amount for an illness, after which you will not be able to claim again during that policy year. 

Q. What kind of hospital cover do I want?

A. Paul Ryan will need to work with you to identify in-patient and day-patient benefits on the policy as they tend to differ from providers and with so many contract it can be a daunting excercise. We aim to tailor a policy to suit your individual needs.

Q Which benefits would be of most value to me?

A. Every client has a different request and preferred benefit that they want to suit their needs. That’s why it’s so important to have a clear understanding of the policy and its benefits before taking out a contract. Paul Ryans Independent Pensions representitives will sit down with you to ensure you choose the correct plan.

Q How much risk am I willing to accept?

A. Most Health Insurance plans have an element of risk associated to them. If you are willing to take on the risk of paying part of the cost, choosing a policy with an excess can result in a lower premium. Hopefully we can work with you and try to recommend the right plan.

Q Which product offers the best value for my circumstances?

A. We at Paul Ryan can help advise on the different products available and we can then work with you to preview the various products available by competing providers. If our offering does not suit you we will tell you immidiately.