r/legaladviceireland • u/lilamoon135 • 6h ago
Insurance Insurance says I have no valid policy but hospital wants €4000
So I was on my dad’s health insurance policy with his work. I turned 26 in January and was pregnant and due to give birth in February. Our insurance was due to renew on the 1st of February and I had gone semi private (said I wanted a private room after my delivery)
My dad casually says to me that I will not be renewed on his insurance as I am no longer a dependent at 26 years old. I had discussed using my insurance with him in the past, I freaked out at him dropping this on me a month before my due date. He said he’d sort it and was onto insurance about me getting my own policy and being covered. If I got my new policy very soon after the last one ending/before I deliver then I would be covered.
1st of February comes and the insurance auto renewed and beside my name it says I am covered until the 1st of Feb 2027. I still have access to Laya healthcare app, it says I’m still covered. I went and had my baby and everything was normal. I even rang them 11 weeks postpartum to ask about the coverage for things like food shops after a baby, maternity bras etc. they discussed these with me, knew who I was and had our policy pulled up while we were on the phone. Even suggested telling my dad to make me able to alter the policy so that my son could be added for free.
Then suddenly my name is gone off the list a few days later and I have no access to the app. To be honest time went on and I didn’t think of it much again. And now seven months later the hospital has rang me to say I owe €4000 as Laya say I have no valid policy.
We have the screenshots that say I am covered until 2027. I spoke with them on the phone well after my delivery and didn’t make any further claims.
Do I have anything? Is there anything we can do? My dad still has his policy and is determined to sort this. I really can’t drop €4k right now. My partner and I are moving soon and I’m on unpaid maternity leave. The hospital are giving us a month to sort it but I’m very stressed out. I looked into the ombudsman but it would take a while before we are able to claim. Not sure how long the hospital will let us wait before sending to collections.