Irish insurance company the Voluntary Health Insurance Board (Vhi) is in the process of retiring four of its health plans, to simplify its offerings to consumers.
The four plans to be retired are Health Access, Health Plus Excess, Health Plus Access and Health Plus Extra.
A Vhi spokesperson told Health & Protection: “The process is being done on a renewal-by-renewal basis and Vhi is writing to those members impacted.”
The move comes as Vhi had received feedback from consumers and the HIA, the Health Insurance Regulator in Ireland, that there were too many plans on the market and that consumers can get confused.
The spokesperson said Vhi has been reviewing its health insurance plans since 2019 with the aim of ensuring it can deliver a simplified product structure and enhanced offerings to better meet members’ healthcare needs.
That entailed closing some plans.
“Our objective is to create a simpler and clearer proposition for our members, and this requires closing some plans and moving members to plans that better meet their healthcare needs,” the Vhi spokesperson said.
The new plans allow members access to Vhi’s expanded Vhi 360 Health Centres and digital healthcare offerings including online GP, NurseLine and physiotherapy.
The company’s revised plan structure offers clear differentiation between plans and allows members to access a suite of benefits most relevant to them – from fertility treatments and maternity care to an annual cardiac review with affordable options in terms of excess and add-ons.
Vhi said it is recommending that members contact the company and speak to its team of health insurance advisers who can help them find the best plan to meet their needs.
