VHI clients with expatriate cover make claims totalling €6.6m

An ever increasing number of Irish emigrants, who take out special expatriate health insurance with VHI, made a record €6.6m in claims last year.

One quarter of these expats, or 400 people, chose to return home rather than stay overseas for treatment.

The most expensive claims were when babies were born prematurely in the US. Two such births cost customers €760,000 and €580,000. Another €375,000 was paid out for treatment of cancer.

VHI International also pays out for repatriation of seriously ill patients if their return to Ireland is deemed “medically appropriate”.

The three most expensive repatriations last year were from the US and were about €60,000, €56,000, and €51,000, involving customers who had been involved in car accidents or had suffered a stroke.

The average repatriation costs for an air ambulance was some €150,000 from Australia and New Zealand, between €59,000 and €65,000 from the US, and €9,000 from France.

The number of VHI International clients returning to Ireland for less acute treatment has trebled over the past five years, with nearly 900 people returning in 2012 compared with about 260 in 2008.

“The claims paid on behalf of these customers has also increased dramatically with €630,000 paid out in 2012 compared with approximately €188,000 in 2008,” said Declan Moran, director of marketing and& business development at VHI Healthcare.

About40% of the VHI International claims were made from customers living in Australia, 16% were from the UK, and 13% were in the US.

VHI International offers expatriate insurance cover for people who move abroad to live, work, study, or travel for more than six months. In addition to providing health insurance cover abroad, it provides cover for customers who choose to receive treatment at home.

The top five claims made by customers who returned to Ireland for care were for abdominal or pelvic swelling, kidney stones, Alzheimer’s disease, and pneumonia.

The most frequent claims were for dental examinations, eye examinations, and non-cancerous skin complaints. Up to 68% of claims were for outpatient visits, 20% were for day-case procedures, and 12% were for in-patient treatment.

“Our experience to date is that VHI International customers really value the fact that, if they get ill, they can come home to Ireland for treatment,” said Mr Moran. “There is obviously great comfort in being able to access a familiar health system where you speak the same language as the medical teams involved in your care. But there is also terrific peace of mind for customers who know that they can also be supported by friends and family while undergoing major medical treatment rather than having to fend for themselves in an unfamiliar country.”