Best Health Insurance for Starter

m.anna

I'm looking for best healthcare insurance for the starter. I'm not Irish and I must admit that Irish healthcare scares me a bit. I'm used to free public healthcare with availibility of all specialists (I'm Polish, part of tax you pay in Poland is transfered to public health care and hospitals, clinics and specialists visits are free, sometimes there are waiting list but than you can go to prive hospital).

I'm looking for some good everyday and hospital cover insurance. What experience do you have with your insurers? Thanks.

Ogham

The system you describe in Poland is very similar to here - you don't have to have insurance. Without a medical card you will have to pay €75 per overnight stay in hospital - (capped at €750 per 12 months) but all treatment/ consultancy/ operations etc and follow up out patient treatment is FREE after that.

m.anna

Thanks.

NuMarvel

If you want more information on the public health system in Ireland, have a look at the Citizens Information website, www.citizensinformation.ie. They also have offices around the country.

In addition to what Ogham has said, most people in Ireland pay for primary care themselves, such as GP visits and prescriptions. However, PAYE workers can get tax relief at 20% on these costs. The State provides a medical card scheme for people under certain threshold limits which would cover these costs. I don't know what the charges are, but the citizens information website should give you answers to that.

If you want to know more about health insurance in Ireland, the Health Insurance Authority is the body set up by the Government to monitor the health insurance market and they have a range of information for the public. Their website is www.hia.ie. Their website also includes a product comparison tool where you can compare the main benefits of all the health insurance products out there.

m.anna

Thank you. You're very helpful.

broker2008

One aspect to consider is a plan that offers to pay for treatment abroad. ie if you needed an operation you could fly home and the irish health insurer would pay for the full cost of the medical procedure but not the flights. But then again if you went home you probably wouldn't have to pay for it anyway ?

adamski8

Hey guys, the OP has very similiar query I was going to ask on behalf of my girlfriend.
She is croatian (not in the EU) and studying here. She just wants cover in case she gets ill here and has to go to hospital and get an operation AND is unable to fly home.

So if she is unwell and can go home she will but if not does she need private heatlh insurance and if so which plan?

Any help would be appreciated.

Ogham

Non EU students on a course here which lasts at least one year are classed as "ordinarily resident" in Ireland, and are therefore entitled to public patient facilities on the same basis as as an Irish citizen. However, non-EU students staying less than one year do not have this entitlement.
So - a hospital stay will be charged at €75 per night . The HSE might want to see some proof of address and course details.

See These
http://www.icosirl.ie/eng/student_information/health_insurance
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/entitlement-to-health-services/entitlement_to_public_health_services

adamski8

Ogham wrote: »

Non EU students on a course here which lasts at least one year are classed as "ordinarily resident" in Ireland, and are therefore entitled to public patient facilities on the same basis as as an Irish citizen. However, non-EU students staying less than one year do not have this entitlement.
So - a hospital stay will be charged at €75 per night . The HSE might want to see some proof of address and course details.

See These
http://www.icosirl.ie/eng/student_information/health_insurance
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/entitlement-to-health-services/entitlement_to_public_health_services

Thats great to know, thanks a lot for that, was searching around ourselves but didnt see that. She is here for over a year now and another 3 to go.
Just wanted peace of mind that it wouldnt cost tens of thousands in case of emergency.

adamski8

Ogham wrote: »

Non EU students on a course here which lasts at least one year are classed as "ordinarily resident" in Ireland, and are therefore entitled to public patient facilities on the same basis as as an Irish citizen. However, non-EU students staying less than one year do not have this entitlement.
So - a hospital stay will be charged at €75 per night . The HSE might want to see some proof of address and course details.

See These
http://www.icosirl.ie/eng/student_information/health_insurance
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/entitlement-to-health-services/entitlement_to_public_health_services

Hi again. I wonder can you answer some more questions i have. My GF got a GP visit card.
So what I want to know is will she need to get health insurance?
She doesnt care about having free GP visits or medication etc, all she wants is peace of mind that if she say gets into a car crash and has to visit the hospital and needs emergency attention/operation or say if she falls and say breaks her arm, will she get the care she needs (im sure she will) and what would she have to pay?
Dont want a case where she has to pay thousands for a broken arm etc or operation.
If for example there is a non emergency operation she needs then she can fly to croatia.

NuMarvel

adamski8 wrote: »

Hi again. I wonder can you answer some more questions i have. My GF got a GP visit card.
So what I want to know is will she need to get health insurance?
She doesnt care about having free GP visits or medication etc, all she wants is peace of mind that if she say gets into a car crash and has to visit the hospital and needs emergency attention/operation or say if she falls and say breaks her arm, will she get the care she needs (im sure she will) and what would she have to pay?
Dont want a case where she has to pay thousands for a broken arm etc or operation.
If for example there is a non emergency operation she needs then she can fly to croatia.

Generally speaking, for emergencies like a car crash, etc, health insurance doesn't come into play. A person in a car crash would be seen as soon as possible, depending on the severity of the injuries. If she needed to be admitted, she would be admitted to the first available bed, in which case, only the Government levy of €75 per night for the first ten nights would be charged. That covers all costs while in hospital. If she was not admitted, she would be charged €100 for the visit to the Emergency Dept. Again, this covers all costs.

The important thing to remember here is that all Irish residents are entitled to "free" hospital care in public hospitals (free, except for the charges I mention above). The main reason people in Ireland have health insurance is that the waiting times on the public system for seeing a consultant or getting into hospital for non-emergency treatment can be months long, depending on where in the country you are and what your ailment is.

Going privately means you're seen generally seen quicker, and health insurance covers some or all of the costs of the private treatment.

Ogham

I agree with above - just one minor point - if a GP refers you to A&E there is no €100 charge - so if it is not a major emergency go to the GP first if you can (especially if you have a GP visit card)

adamski8

thanks guys for that help