So upset and annoyed

Just need to write this and maybe get some advice. I am with VHI and have been for years. I was on the family plan and when i was pregnant on my first baby i went private and i was covered in a public hospital which we have. I had to have a section and the cost was massive over €3000 for my stay i think in the hospial this was all covered with VHI. Then when my renewal came up in december i decided to go to a lesser plan as i wasn't planning on having a baby. The man on the phone told me if i was to upgrade it would be no problem. Found out i was pregnant last week and i was delighted to say the least rang VHi this morning and i have a one year wait which is no good baby due in November. Want to go private this time as i had a section last time. Girl told me all they will pay is €381 no matter how long i stay. Nearly cried down the phone. So upset don't know what to do.

Hey Lush Mama, I was similar to you, in that in April 2009, I reduced the cover I had with Quinn H/C, but I was told that if I needed to upgrade my cover, I would have to wait a year before it was implemented, regardless of the fact that I have had no claims (thankfully) in the past 9 years with them. I took the gamble in reducing the cover, but had inlcuded maternity cover just in case! I know this isn't much help, but I just wanted to respond to say that they do all appear to have the same policies... Sue

I had a problem once with VHI in that I changed plan a slight downgrade and they told me something was covered and then when I went to claim, it wasn't. Thankfully, they listened back to my phone call and they noted that I had asked about this and that they should have answered it correctly. Because the misunderstanding was their fault they allowed me to upgrade to the plan I was on before I called them. ie Plan B. Could you try this?

That's a pain but I was going to say the same as Papillion, try ringing them and tell them you were misinformed and to listen to your calls. Congrats on your BFP!

Thanks ladies i have just been on and they have informed me that if i have to have section it is treated as an operation and i will be covered but if i don't then i have to pay for hospital 700 a night for 3 nights. So not going to take that chance. They are going to listen back to phone calls and let me know. I am hoping for the best. Can someone tell me what the combined care is. Maybe we could see consultant and pay him his fee and then go public in hospital. Just so upset about the whole thing. We couldn't afford consultant at 2600 and then 700 a night in hospital.

Lush mama, the Combined Care is for public patients to go between their GP and hospital for their ante natal appts. It just saves time really. I've my first doctors appt next week for my combined care and then back to the hospital 4 weeks later for my normal visit. As you get closer to your due date you go every two weeks and then every week. Not all GPs take part in the scheme though.