While making enquiries today about health (holiday) insurance for our upcoming trip to the sun I learned a surprising fact which I need to share with all you craicers.
VHI cover is contingent on being 'resident' in Ireland for at least six months of the year. So, if we take over six months away in any calendar year our VHI becomes void which means that if we need them while at home they will deny cover as we contravened one of the policy conditions.#
It's the other side of the multi-trip 180 day max policy.
With VHI the only way out is to change to their international policy, however when back home you can seamlessly convert back to the domestic policy and back to its international policy when going away again and so on.
Although a phone call is all that's required It's a real convoluted pain in the @ss but it seams to be the only option for anyone planning to go to the sum for the winter and clock up more than 180 days away in a calendar year.
For us the international policy is about 45% dearer on an annual basis than the normal VHI policy but if you check in and out as change from away to home you only pay the difference while you are actually away, so the actual extra would be less depending on how long the trip(s) is/are.
The policy is payable monthly without admin or interest charges but the monthly instalment will depend on whether you're at home (ordinary VHI cover) or away (international cover)
All the above is VHI related, I can't speak for other health insurance providers.
VHI cover is contingent on being 'resident' in Ireland for at least six months of the year. So, if we take over six months away in any calendar year our VHI becomes void which means that if we need them while at home they will deny cover as we contravened one of the policy conditions.#
It's the other side of the multi-trip 180 day max policy.
With VHI the only way out is to change to their international policy, however when back home you can seamlessly convert back to the domestic policy and back to its international policy when going away again and so on.
Although a phone call is all that's required It's a real convoluted pain in the @ss but it seams to be the only option for anyone planning to go to the sum for the winter and clock up more than 180 days away in a calendar year.
For us the international policy is about 45% dearer on an annual basis than the normal VHI policy but if you check in and out as change from away to home you only pay the difference while you are actually away, so the actual extra would be less depending on how long the trip(s) is/are.
The policy is payable monthly without admin or interest charges but the monthly instalment will depend on whether you're at home (ordinary VHI cover) or away (international cover)
All the above is VHI related, I can't speak for other health insurance providers.