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Hospital Costs

  • 27-07-2006 8:30pm
    #1
    Deadevil129
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭


    Not sure if this'd be the right board for this but I suppose this is a personal issue.

    I have an appointment as an outpatient in Beaumont next year. From the horrendous waiting time you can probably guess I went public, which I don't mind, it's not a paticularly serious problem so I don't mind the wait so much, and since cash is a bit of an issue I though it was best to go public.

    Anyway what I'm wondering is that if I'm a public patient how much will I have to pay for? I'm presuming I'll have to pay for any medication I'm prescribed, but if I have to pay for the consultation too it seems to defeat the purpose of going public... As for procedures while I'm there, I've been told I'm getting an ultra-sound and eh, a camera... inserted somewhere... (not my ass thankfully if anyone's wondering). So will I have to cough up cash for them too?

    I don't qualify for a medical card if anyone's wondering, and I can probably afford it, but I just need to know in advance how much I might need. I didn't fancy coughing up €40 to walk into a doctor's office and have him tell me "it'll cost X euros", so I thought I'd check out here first and see if anyone had any idea, cheers.


Comments

  • #2
    Gillo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,566 ✭✭✭Gillo


    First, hope it al goes ok for you.

    Now for the important part. If you want to know the cost, your best bet is to call the hospital and ask, it'll prob take a few calls though and a lot of patience. If it looks like it's going to be expensive, I'm not sure what the story is with getting a loan, I presume it would be classed as a high risk by banks.

    Why not look into taking out BUPA or VHI?
    I've had it for 2 years and never claimed anything, but it's good for piece of mind.


  • #3
    Marksie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,395 ✭✭✭Marksie


    I have VHI amnd used it for the first time recently. its good for peace of mind.
    OH my they blast the NHS in the uk, But at least its free!
    the consukltant is not covered by VHI neither is the medication by the way.
    depending on what you need you could apply for the drug refund scheme, limits the cost to 85 euro per month.
    But the laxative for the scope you are having is the worst part BTW ( ihad both at once ) lol..talk about the world falling out of my bottom.
    the scope was a doddle

    oh and the laxative wasnt on the refund scheme..so tough S**T lol

    hope it goes well for you


  • #4
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    Contact the hospital accounts dept and enquire.


  • #5
    iguana
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,917 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    First contact the hospital and ask the price. Then contact local private clinics that carry out the same procedure. The cost may not be that different so it could end up worth doing it privately.

    I recently had private health treatment in Ireland on an old injury. I was told I'd be waiting 18 months on the NHS, private treatment in London would have cost between £3500 and £7000. I called up the Irish private doctor who had treated me previously and got an appointment for the next week and the total treatment cost €260. Public treatment in Ireland would have cost me €210 and taken at least 6 months. So it would have been €50 well spent if those had been my options.

    Obviously different treatments will differ but there is no harm in finding out the actual price difference before deciding what to do.


  • #6
    Deadevil129
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Deadevil129


    Cheers for the replys so far.

    I think I'll ring the hospital sometime today or tomorow then call around a couple of local clinics. Looking into some health insurance certainly seems like a good idea though.


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  • #7
    Pipp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Pipp


    Public Patients are free, your investigations will be free, as will your visit with the consultant. All youll have to pay for are whatever tablets you are prescribed. People gripe non-stop about the Irish Health Service but from my point of view, as a public patient who has been in and out of hospital with a long term condition, it is pretty good.
    If you are diagnosed with any condition requiring life-long (expensive) treatment you can get whats called a Long Term Ilness book which covers all medicines/apparatus that are prescribed for your condition. The HSE Organises this. Hopefully you wont need this information though.
    If you are admitted to the hospital they will ask you if you have VHI and if you do then the hospital deals directly with them for payment.
    Basically Public Patients pay very little indeed. Its Private Patients that have to pay for everything, like €1,000.00 consultation fee etc.


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