That VHI shower........RAGE!!

eefc · by **eefc** » Thu May 03, 2022 11:09 am

I need your opinions and help wollies!

H2B has a ventral gastric hernia. Although the symptoms have been going on for past 11 or 12 months, he never actually went to the doctor until August. H2B on my policy since 1st August this year. Doctor "didn't know" what it was and said it was highly unlikely it was a hernia. Roll on a few more months to Christmas and 2 more visits to doctor who still couldn't identify the problem. As symptoms came and went it was constantly there. Then In March it got quite bad so return visit to the doctor (idiot doctor IMO but H2B didn't want to hear it at the time) said he better get it checked out by gastroenterologist so arranged for a consultation. H2B told him we had VHI but he still put him through public and 4 weeks later still no letter for appointment. Symptoms returned and much worse so I brought H2B to Swiftcare clinic where lovely doctor diagnosed the hernia in about 3 minutes flat. A letter for consultation appointment came out 2 weeks later and we went to surgeon on Tues.

It was pretty serious and H2B needs to be operated on this coming Tues. All was fine until hospital rang and said "oh because your symptoms are going on 12 months, VHI won't cover you. You'll have to ring and find out the story.

VHI had the nerve to tell him that if the doctor noted that symptoms began 12 months ago even though he didn't go to the doctor until August, and wasn't diagnosed until about 3 weeks ago, that VHI won't cover him. O:|

I am RAGING! All the money we spend on health insurance- to be told we can't use it. >:o(

Any wollies know if we are correct in saying he should be covered as his first doctors visit wasn't until middle of August and he wasn't actually diagnosed until Swiftcare clinic?

Need to know before I ring them back and have the battle.

O:|

IsMise · by **IsMise** » Thu May 03, 2022 11:14 am

Don't think you will have any joy.
It's a "pre existing" condition, if its down on doctors note that he had been suffereing for the 12 months previous

There is also the waiting period consideration, usually 6 months.
He only went on your policy in August so had a 6 months wait before he could avil of VHI cover

Mari yay · by **Mari yay** » Thu May 03, 2022 11:28 am

Yeah it sounds like politics to me, don't think you'll have much luck.
Awful I know. My friend was supposed to be travelling to visit friends in the summer, but her friends dad is ill so they are coming home. She was told by VHI that in order to get any money back from her travel insurance she needs to get a letter from her friend's dad's Dr as to how serious the illness is? Like for f sake, how could she ask for that information.

seedee · by **seedee** » Thu May 03, 2022 11:40 am

i rang the other day to find out if i was covered with my policy for a procedure before i got referred privately, and it was like pulling teeth to get an answer. the girl kept asking me which consultant and which hospital.
I HAVENT BEEN REFERRED YET. YOU TELL ME, AND ILL GO THERE!

in the end she told me to look it up on the website myself. that was my first time having to deal with them in 33 years of being with them. not a good start.

yonex · by **yonex** » Thu May 03, 2022 11:55 am

if your doc rights a letter stayin wen symptoms started u might ave some luck but the rules are the rules

eefc · by **eefc** » Thu May 03, 2022 12:10 pm

I am actually in tears like- H2B is so sick and really needs to get this repaired.

Thing is, is that for ages we thought it was indigestion/ulcer and it used to appear one day and then go away for weeks on end and he used to forget about it.

Trying to get through to his GP who missed the diagnosis 4 times, to see if he can write a letter to say that this was first presented to him in August and that he didn't identify it as a hernia at that point.

Also rang our life assurance broker to see if I could get him covered on life policy but they only cover hiatus hernias. :weep

lulu126 · by **lulu126** » Thu May 03, 2022 12:19 pm

IsMise wrote:Don't think you will have any joy.
It's a "pre existing" condition, if its down on doctors note that he had been suffereing for the 12 months previous

There is also the waiting period consideration, usually 6 months.
He only went on your policy in August so had a 6 months wait before he could avil of VHI cover

+1

I work in the health sector and VHI are notorious for sticking to their guns on pre-existing conditions and the 6 month waiting periods. My general experience is that the health insurers will look for any reason not to pay out at the moment. One thing I will say though is that if your health insurer won't cover it and the diagnosis has been made, the consultant can refer him into the public system and he might get seen quickly if the course of treatment is known if you know what I mean. In other words he might not have to go to the back of the queue. I'd ring the consultant's office in this instance and see what they can do.

eefc · by **eefc** » Thu May 03, 2022 12:23 pm

lulu126 wrote:
IsMise wrote:Don't think you will have any joy.
It's a "pre existing" condition, if its down on doctors note that he had been suffereing for the 12 months previous

There is also the waiting period consideration, usually 6 months.
He only went on your policy in August so had a 6 months wait before he could avil of VHI cover

+1

I work in the health sector and VHI are notorious for sticking to their guns on pre-existing conditions and the 6 month waiting periods. My general experience is that the health insurers will look for any reason not to pay out at the moment. One thing I will say though is that if your health insurer won't cover it and the diagnosis has been made, the consultant can refer him into the public system and he might get seen quickly if the course of treatment is known if you know what I mean. In other words he might not have to go to the back of the queue. I'd ring the consultant's office in this instance and see what they can do.

Thanks.

Think consultants rooms are closed today because he does surgeries on tues and thurs normally- no one answering.

I just thought because he didn't actually present his case to anyone until August, it wouldnt be considered pre-existing. There is no record of it anywhere else because the clown that I am marrying, ignored it so long. He has been on the policy 7 or 8 months now so I thought things would be grand- smooth sailing. Clearly not.

eefc · by **eefc** » Thu May 03, 2022 12:44 pm

AdelaideGirl wrote:Yeah it sounds like politics to me, don't think you'll have much luck.
Awful I know. My friend was supposed to be travelling to visit friends in the summer, but her friends dad is ill so they are coming home.

SPAMMERS WOULD TAKE A ROYAL FCUK OFF. ARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH O:|

Mamabelle2011 · by **Mamabelle2011** » Thu May 03, 2022 12:47 pm

Was in a similar situation myself a few years ago. Needed surgery, not as big as your partner, but was absolutely sure i was covered. Got a fine fat bill after the surgery, fought hard with them but they said records showed dr had noted symptoms etc and i had a pre-existing condition. Fought hard and no way would they relent. Had to pay the hospital off by the week. VHI wont budge on things like this especially in the current climate. Hope your fiancé feels better soon.

StupidSexyFlanders · by **StupidSexyFlanders** » Thu May 03, 2022 12:51 pm

Did your OH have health insurance of his own before he joined your policy in August or is this the first time he has had any cover whatsoever?

If he had his own policy previously and then switched then you might be able to get somewhere with them.

eefc · by **eefc** » Thu May 03, 2022 1:00 pm

No he had it for years on his parents one- and he just gave them the money. Then his parents just didn't renew him the last time without telling him so there was a lapse of like 8 months or so, so its no good.

Just rang VHI about the whole pre-existing condition thing. Just looks like its not going to happen. My heart is broke for him like.

Going to see if his GP will write him a letter. I doubt it though. Sure why would he.

:weep

Mari yay · by **Mari yay** » Thu May 03, 2022 2:31 pm

eefc wrote:
AdelaideGirl wrote:Yeah it sounds like politics to me, don't think you'll have much luck.
Awful I know. My friend was supposed to be travelling to visit friends in the summer, but her friends dad is ill so they are coming home.

SPAMMERS WOULD TAKE A ROYAL FCUK OFF. ARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH

For god sake admin ye are deleting individual posts on other threads yet ye STILL let them register and post. Useless.

Boo2012 · by **Boo2012** » Thu May 03, 2022 8:48 pm

Yeah, have had this problem with VHI before as well, once you have something even if you didn't know it or have any symptoms they consider it pre-existing and won't pay O:|

Hope you get something sorted.

Shopgirl 1 · by **Shopgirl 1** » Thu May 03, 2022 9:30 pm

I've had to learn the hard way too, basically insurance of any kind, whether it's health, serious Illness, car or anything else is very straightforward, you buy a contract, they give you the terms and conditions in the policy document, you accept them, anything outside that is excluded. So simple yet so frustrating simetimes.

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