Health Insurance Review Ireland

Review your cover before you automatically renew

Health insurance premiums, benefits, hospital lists and excesses can change from one renewal to the next.

Your family circumstances and medical priorities can also change.

Automatically renewing the same health insurance plan every year could mean paying more for cover that no longer reflects what you need.

At Dooley Insurance Group, we review existing health insurance policies for individuals, couples, families and businesses across Ireland.

Send us your current plan or renewal notice and our health insurance team will help you understand your cover, identify important changes and explain the alternatives available through our agency appointments.

Renewal approaching? Call Aisling O’Connor on 085 851 4492.

What is a health insurance review?

A health insurance review is a detailed assessment of your current plan, renewal premium, benefits, hospital access, excesses and personal requirements.

The purpose is to establish:

• What your existing policy covers
• How much the renewal will cost
• Whether the premium has changed
• Whether important benefits have changed
• Whether the hospital list remains suitable
• What excesses you may need to pay
• Which benefits you actually use
• Whether each family member needs the same plan
• Whether another available option may be more appropriate

The review should be completed before your renewal date so that you have time to understand the options and make an informed decision.

Why should I review my health insurance every year?

Health insurance should not be treated as a policy that can be arranged once and forgotten.

A review is important because:

• Premiums can increase
• Benefits can change
• Hospital access can change
• New plans can enter the market
• Existing plans can be withdrawn
• Excesses can increase
• Child pricing can change
• Corporate plans may become available
• Your health priorities may change
• Your family circumstances may change
• Your employer benefits may change

A plan that provided good value several years ago may no longer be the most appropriate choice.

What does Dooleys check during a health insurance review?

Our health insurance team can examine:

Your renewal premium

We check the new annual premium and compare it with the amount previously paid.

A premium increase should be reviewed alongside any changes to benefits, excesses and hospital access.

Hospital access

We examine the level of access available under the plan, which may include:

• Public hospitals
• Private hospitals
• High technology hospitals
• Approved treatment centres

If access to a particular hospital is important, you should tell us during the review.

Inpatient benefits

We review eligible inpatient accommodation, treatment and hospital excesses.

Day case benefits

Day case excesses and treatment benefits can differ between plans.

A lower annual premium may involve a higher payment when attending hospital for an eligible day case procedure.

Outpatient benefits

We review benefits for eligible day to day medical expenses, which may include:

• GP appointments
• Consultant visits
• Physiotherapy
• Diagnostic tests
• Dental treatment
• Optical treatment
• Other eligible expenses

The amount refunded and the excess applied will depend on the policy.

Orthopaedic and cardiac cover

Some policies can apply specific restrictions, reduced benefits or higher personal contributions for certain orthopaedic or cardiac procedures.

These details should be checked carefully where they are important to you.

Cancer care

We review the available cancer treatment benefits, hospital access and other relevant policy conditions.

Mental health benefits

Mental health benefits can vary in relation to inpatient treatment, outpatient support and approved providers.

Maternity benefits

If you are planning a family, maternity waiting periods and the available hospital and consultant benefits should be considered.

Children’s cover

Children do not always need to remain on the same plan as their parents.

Different levels of cover may be considered for individual family members, depending on their needs and the plans available.

When should I review my health insurance?

You should review your health insurance when:

• Your renewal notice arrives
• Your premium increases
• You have remained on the same plan for several years
• You get married
• You begin living with a partner
• You have a child
• You are planning a pregnancy
• A child becomes an adult
• You change employment
• Your employer changes its health insurance contribution
• You retire
• Your health requirements change
• You are planning treatment
• Your preferred hospital changes
• You return to Ireland
• Your household budget changes

Ideally, begin the review as soon as the renewal notice is received.

What information does Dooleys need?

To complete a useful health insurance review, we may ask for:

• Current insurer
• Current plan name
• Renewal date
• Current or renewal premium
• Number of adults
• Number of children
• Ages of those insured
• Existing health insurance history
• Preferred hospitals
• Benefits that are important to you
• Planned treatment
• Current employer contribution
• Preferred excess
• Available budget
• Copy of the renewal notice

You should not send detailed medical records unless specifically requested through an appropriate secure process.

Send us your health insurance renewal notice

Your renewal notice contains information that can help us review your existing plan.

Upload or send a copy showing:

• Provider
• Plan name
• Renewal date
• Premium
• People covered
• Any listed plan changes

Our health insurance team can then review the information and contact you to discuss the available options.

Send Your Renewal Notice

Call Aisling: 085 851 4492

Email: aisling@dooleyinsurances.com

Has your health insurance premium increased?

A higher renewal premium does not automatically mean that you should reduce your cover or switch provider.

The first step is to understand:

• How much the premium increased
• Whether the benefits changed
• Whether your hospital access changed
• Whether your excess changed
• Whether a different excess could reduce the premium
• Whether unused benefits are increasing the cost
• Whether another plan may meet your priorities
• Whether different family members need different plans

The cheapest plan may not provide the cover you expect.

The objective is to find an appropriate balance between cost, hospital access, benefits and potential out of pocket expenses.

Am I paying for health insurance benefits I do not use?

A policy may include benefits that are not relevant to your circumstances.

However, removing benefits purely to reduce the premium can create gaps in cover.

A proper review should distinguish between:

• Benefits you are unlikely to use
• Benefits that could still be financially important
• Benefits available through another source
• Benefits that affect hospital access
• Benefits with restrictive claim limits
• Benefits that appear valuable but provide a small practical refund

The value of a plan should be assessed as a whole.

Can I reduce my health insurance premium?

Potential ways to manage the cost may include:

• Reviewing the level of hospital cover
• Selecting a different inpatient excess
• Selecting a different day case excess
• Reviewing outpatient benefits
• Comparing available plans
• Placing family members on different plans
• Checking available child pricing
• Reviewing corporate or group plan eligibility
• Removing cover that is no longer required
• Reviewing the policy before renewal

Any reduction in premium should be considered alongside the benefits or access being given up.

Should all family members have the same health insurance plan?

Not necessarily.

Different family members may have different priorities.

For example:

• One adult may require maternity benefits
• Another may prioritise cardiac or orthopaedic cover
• Children may need a different level of hospital cover
• One person may use outpatient benefits frequently
• Another may prefer a higher excess and lower premium

A family review should assess each person separately before deciding on the overall structure.

Can couples have different health insurance plans?

Yes. Couples do not normally need to hold identical health insurance plans.

Each person’s cover can be based on:

• Hospital preferences
• Medical priorities
• Outpatient usage
• Maternity requirements
• Excess preference
• Budget
• Existing waiting periods

Both people may remain with the same provider or consider different available arrangements where appropriate.

Reviewing health insurance before planned treatment

If you are expecting treatment, you should be particularly careful when changing plan or provider.

Before making a decision, check:

• Whether the treatment is covered
• Whether the hospital is included
• Whether the consultant is covered
• What excess applies
• Whether pre authorisation is required
• Whether a waiting period applies
• Whether an upgrade waiting period applies
• Whether treatment has already been approved
• Whether claims are currently being processed

Do not assume that a new plan will immediately provide a higher level of cover for an existing or pre existing condition.

Reviewing hospital cover

Hospital access is one of the most important parts of a health insurance plan.

Plans may provide different levels of access to:

• Public hospitals
• Private hospitals
• High technology hospitals
• Private rooms
• Semi private rooms
• Approved treatment centres

A plan may also apply different excesses or personal contributions depending on the hospital or treatment.

If you have a preferred hospital, tell us during the review so that it can be considered.

Reviewing outpatient cover

Outpatient cover may contribute towards eligible everyday medical costs.

Depending on the plan, this may include:

• GP visits
• Consultant appointments
• Physiotherapy
• Diagnostic tests
• Dental treatment
• Optical treatment
• Mental health support
• Alternative therapies where included

Some plans apply an annual outpatient excess before refunds begin.

A plan with extensive outpatient benefits may have a higher premium. The likely value should be compared with the additional cost.

Reviewing your health insurance excess

A health insurance excess is the amount you may need to pay towards an eligible claim.

Your plan may contain:

• Inpatient excess
• Day case excess
• Outpatient excess
• Excess per admission
• Excess per claim
• Annual excess

Choosing a higher excess may reduce the annual premium, but it increases the amount you could pay when using the policy.

You should select an excess that you could reasonably afford if treatment is required.

Reviewing health insurance for children

Children’s health insurance needs can change as they get older.

A review should consider:

• Child premium
• Hospital access
• Paediatric care
• Inpatient excess
• Day case excess
• GP benefits
• Consultant benefits
• Physiotherapy
• Mental health benefits
• Dental and optical benefits
• Age limits
• When a child moves to an adult rate

Families should review child cover before every renewal.

Reviewing health insurance over 50

People over 50 may place greater importance on:

• Private hospital access
• Orthopaedic treatment
• Cardiac care
• Cancer care
• Consultant access
• Diagnostic tests
• Hospital excesses
• Outpatient benefits
• High technology hospitals

Remaining on an old plan does not guarantee that it continues to provide the most appropriate cover.

The benefits, restrictions and premium should be examined at each renewal.

Reviewing corporate health insurance

Employer paid or supported health insurance should also be reviewed.

Employees should understand:

• The plan provided
• Employer contribution
• Benefit in Kind
• Hospital access
• Excesses
• Cover for dependants
• Options when leaving employment
• Whether additional personal cover is required
• How the plan compares with existing family cover

Employers should review the company arrangement for cost, employee value and administrative requirements.

Can I switch after a health insurance review?

You may decide to remain with your current plan, move to another plan with the same provider or switch provider.

The right decision depends on:

• Current benefits
• Proposed benefits
• Premium
• Hospital access
• Excesses
• Existing conditions
• Waiting periods
• Planned treatment
• Claims in progress
• Renewal timing

A review does not automatically mean that you need to switch.

In some cases, retaining the existing plan may remain suitable.

Will switching restart my waiting periods?

You will not necessarily repeat all waiting periods when moving without a break in cover.

However, a waiting period may apply to new or higher benefits, particularly for a pre existing condition.

Your existing level of cover may continue to apply during an upgrade waiting period, subject to the relevant rules and policy terms.

This should be checked before changing plan.

Why use Dooleys for your health insurance review?

Dooley Insurance Group is an established Irish insurance brokerage founded in 1957.

Our health insurance review service provides:

• Clear explanations
• Review of current cover
• Review of renewal premium
• Assessment of hospital access
• Comparison of relevant benefits
• Review of excesses
• Family plan reviews
• Switching guidance
• Renewal support
• Access to a named health insurance specialist

Our aim is to help you understand your cover before you renew or make a change.

Speak to Aisling O’Connor

Aisling O’Connor, CIP APA, is a Director of Dooley Insurance Group and heads the Health Insurance Section.

Aisling joined Dooley Insurance Group in 2009 and provides advice to individuals, families and businesses reviewing their health insurance.

Phone: 085 851 4492

Email: aisling@dooleyinsurances.com

Health insurance review questions

What is included in a health insurance review?

A review can examine your premium, hospital access, excesses, inpatient benefits, outpatient benefits, family cover and available alternatives.

When should I review my health insurance?

You should review it as soon as your renewal notice arrives and before the renewal date.

Does a review mean I need to switch provider?

No. The review may show that your current plan remains suitable.

Can Dooleys review my current health insurance plan?

Yes. Send us your provider, plan name, renewal date, premium and renewal notice.

Can I reduce my health insurance premium?

It may be possible by reviewing hospital access, excesses, outpatient benefits, family plan structure and available alternatives.

Should I choose the cheapest health insurance plan?

Not automatically. A lower premium may involve reduced hospital access, higher excesses or fewer benefits.

Can my family members have different plans?

Yes. Each person can be reviewed according to their individual needs and budget.

Can I switch with a medical condition?

A medical condition does not normally prevent you from switching, but an upgrade waiting period may apply to higher benefits.

Will I lose cover if I switch?

A properly arranged switch should avoid an unintended break in cover. Existing and proposed benefits should be checked carefully.

Can I change my excess?

You may be able to move to a plan with a different excess at renewal. The impact on premium and potential claim costs should be considered.

Should I review corporate health insurance?

Yes. Both employers and employees should understand the cost, benefits, tax treatment and available cover.

What documents do I need?

Your current plan details and renewal notice are normally the best starting point.

How long does a health insurance review take?

The time required depends on the number of people covered, the complexity of the current policy and the options being considered.

How do I request a review?

Call Aisling on 085 851 4492 or email aisling@dooleyinsurances.com with your current plan and renewal details.

Do not automatically renew without reviewing your cover

Your renewal notice is an opportunity to check whether your health insurance still reflects your needs and budget.

Send Dooleys your renewal notice and speak with our health insurance team before making a decision.

Call Aisling: 085 851 4492

Email: aisling@dooleyinsurances.com

Naas office: 045 431642

Edenderry office: 046 973 1218

The information on this page is general and does not constitute personal medical, financial, legal or tax advice. Health insurance premiums, benefits, hospital lists, excesses, waiting periods and policy conditions may change. Cover remains subject to the terms and conditions of the insurer and selected plan.

Dooley Insurances Ltd t/a Dooley Insurance & Mortgage Brokers and Dooley Insurance Group is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.