Pregancy-VHI or public

maohallo

Hi

I'm sure this has been discussed to death but I would appreciate any help on this.

Basically, I have to decide whether to renew my VHI or not (Company Plan Starter which covers private accom in a public hospital for 3 days and a c-section if medically necessary). It's €672 and to be honest it will be a real struggle to find the cash for various reasons (such as redundancy etc) which I won't bore you with.

Anyways, I am getting married next year and hope to start a family straight away. If I don't renew now I will loose my accumulated waiting periods for maternity (but my husband company will pay for my VHI once we are married) so will have to go public.

What's the story with going public? I keep hearing there is real no difference and even with VHI there is no gaurantee of a private room and some of my friends say it still costs them €2K to have a baby with VHI? I am thinking of letting it go and going public when the times comes-am I mad?

Help!

Thanks!

LashingLady

As far as I know even if you have private health insurance if you opt to go private for maternity care you still have a to fork out a couple of thousand euro for the consultants' fees as these aren't all covered.

I'm not sure where in the country you are. I live in Dublin where all the hospitals have a semi-private option. I went sp for both my pregnancies, and I have VHI. For the first in 2008 I had to pay €350 myself and in 2010 this had gone up to €650! This is the "excess" hospital fees that VHI doesn't cover, on top of what you have paid in insurance premiums!

I've heard good and bad stories about going public to be honest. There were long queues in semi-private in Holles St when I was there, and I imagine public is the same. My main problem would be the bigger wards. Semi private have 5 to a ward, I don't even know if public is bigger but you just get better rest on a smaller ward I think. But I've know people who've gone public and couldn't fault it, and got plenty of support with the breastfeeding.

Depending on where you live in relation to the hospital you might consider going public with the midwives led unit - I know they have one at the Coombe and Holles St. You don't see a consultant during your pregnancy if evething is going normally. After you have your baby you are discharged early, and a midwife comes to see you in your house for up to five days after you get home. I've spoken to a few people who did this and they found it great.

But I wouldn' just keep your health insurance for maternity reasons. I got appendicitis last year. At first I was in a public hospital but I got a secondary infection and had to stay longer and they moved me to a private hospital. I was so glad at taht point because I was terrified in the public hosp that I was going to catch swine flu as I hadn't had the vaccine while pg and my 12 week old baby was at home etc etc. Although having private insurance didn't stop me from having to lie on a trolley for 18 hours in the corridor of A&E!!

pippington

Hi!

I am with VHI and when I found out I was pregnant rang them to check out my options. I am attending the Rotunda and basically for semi-private it would cost upwards of 2000e and for private upwards of 4000e. I was also told I could not be guaranteed a private room in the Rotunda and that it may not always be possible to see the same Consultant, which I thought would be kinda the main point of going private. I know costs are lower in other areas of the Country, but much of a muchness.

I decided that I would rather keep that money for after the baby is here. So far going publicly in the Rotunda has been great. No problems, no massive waiting times, any midwife, doctor etc I have seen have been great. Im having combined care with my GP, who also told me at the beginning of my pregnancy that as I am Irish there is really no point in going privately unless there was any known risks associated with my pregnancy.

I also know of 2 women who went privately for their first babies and chose to go publicly with their second. Both felt going publicly just made them think private was a waste of money. Again though they both had low risk pregnancies.

Also if you do go publicly and feel you would like extra scans there is also the option of going to somewhere like babyscan, a scan costs roughly 80 - 120e. Not quite the cost of paying for private care.

The other thing to consider is if you would like something like a water birth, as far as I know in the Rotunda this is only available to private patients.

foxinsocks

Having a high risk pregnancy, (high blood pressure with the first one) I opted for private care again this time. I developed gestational diabetes (to make it a higher risk!) and wound up stuck back in the public diabetes clinic, with all the relevant having to sit around waiting for hours in uncomfortable seating with 200 other women with the same appointment time as you.

I think it will depend on which hospital you intend on attending also. Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda just seems to get busier and busier and busier, as they limit or close down every hospital north of Dublin...

That said, I have seen the same obstetrician every time, and she gives me an ultrasound every time, which I LOVE. It also gives me a sense of peace, every time. No matter how stressed or uncomfortable I am, just seeing my little one playing with his or her toes on the screen makes it all ok again. My obstetrician has managed to cut my wait time from 3 hours to 1 hour on a couple of occasions in the public clinic too. (cheeky, but it's so miserable sitting there, I'm willing to put up with a few glares) My baby will have to go into special care after it's born (because I'm on insulin for the diabetes) but I just have that little extra bit of peace of mind knowing that unless something drastic happens, my obstetrician will be there when I deliver.

Going private is costing me €2500, (plus VHI of course) and although I'm not entirely convinced it has been worth quite that much, I don't think I really had any other option. And at the end, at least I have a chance of a private room!

jendavnlillie

Hi,

I've had Health Insurance for years and for my last 2 pregnancies I went Public in Drogheda. Personally I don't believe that you get treated any differently and by going private doesn't actually mean you'll get to have your consultant deliver you, also you mightened even get your private or Semi private room.
I have a question though... I cancelled my Health Insurance this year as I had huge bills last year for a medical problem I have and when I sent my receipts to them for compensation ( over 3 grand ) I received €110 back. My policy excess and the "small Print" meant that I actually had been paying over 2k a year for nothing, practically. Anyway getting off the point. If I go public again on my next baby without health insurance will I be charged by the hospital??? Anybody I know who has none and gone public has never paid for the privialge of giving birth in hospital.... Can anyone confirm this for me, Please

holidaygirl

No you won't have have any charges going public.

I also opted for pubic over private but am down the country I'm in and out to my appointments in an hour with the exception of one day when I was there for almost two hours start to finish. I cannot fault the care I've been given. My labour didn't go as I'd hoped for an ended up needing an emergency section.

This pregnancy a low lying placenta was spotted at my 12 week scan, I'm now 29 weeks and have been scanned 4 times so far, with another one scheduled in just over two weeks time. My own gp's wife went public in the same hospital in all 5 of her pregnancies.

Pique

Hi op,
I just wonder if the vhi fees are a struggle, why would you plan on having kids? They aren't cheap you know.
Just a thought..

gtul

Hi, i had my first baby three years ago, even though i had very good health insurance i still opted to go public. would have cost me about 2k even after my health insurance came into play. going public again with my second which is due in four weeks, the way i look at it is babies are expensive enough as it is. the midwives and doctors arent going to treat you any differently just because you decided to go public, you might miss out on the private room and having the same doctor at all your check ups but thats it. mind your money for later when you'll really need it

Mom2Be

maohallo wrote: »

Hi

I'm sure this has been discussed to death but I would appreciate any help on this.

Basically, I have to decide whether to renew my VHI or not (Company Plan Starter which covers private accom in a public hospital for 3 days and a c-section if medically necessary). It's €672 and to be honest it will be a real struggle to find the cash for various reasons (such as redundancy etc) which I won't bore you with.

Anyways, I am getting married next year and hope to start a family straight away. If I don't renew now I will loose my accumulated waiting periods for maternity (but my husband company will pay for my VHI once we are married) so will have to go public.

What's the story with going public? I keep hearing there is real no difference and even with VHI there is no gaurantee of a private room and some of my friends say it still costs them €2K to have a baby with VHI? I am thinking of letting it go and going public when the times comes-am I mad?

Help!

Thanks!

Hi there..
I have two girls. I went private on my first and public on my second..

Fabulous midwives, Epidural and semi private room (two beds) ~ Private
Fabulous midwives, Epidural and semi private room (two beds) ~ Public

Granted it was the luck of the draw that i was put in a semi private room second time but in my opinion it was a complete waste of money going private. My consultant was not at the delivery either.

There is only one thing that i could say i found different between the two and that is the time you are waiting for your clinic appointments..

Private ~ Consultants rooms so pretty much in and out.
Public ~ Hospital clinic so maybe a couple of hours.

Id much rather keep my money and do the waiting.

Best of luck whatever you decide x

littlewren

Hi Ladies,

Thank you very much for the helpful and informative advice above.

I am 17 weeks pregnant. This is my first pregnancy at 37. I have VHI, and since it is my first I was advised to go Private. I went to the consultant for my scan, everything ok. there was no urine or bloods taken ( which I thought was a given) After the scan his secretary proceeded to inform me that the consultant will not be available for my next appointment, he will be away on holidays for the next appointment etc... and he may not be present for the delivery. After the appointment my partner rightfully said " What on earth are we paying for!?" He has a point. We are to pay €2,600.

Our circumstance have drastically changed now, I am currently out of work. My question is has anybody reverted back to public from private?( No monies have exchanged yet)

I would be extremely grateful for any feedback on the matter. Much appreciation.

January

I think you are still liable for fee's if you transfer your care.

dori_dormer

I would stay on your health insurance but go public so it doesnt cost you extra. I know babies are covered by the mothers plan as soon as they are born and free up until the next policy renewal.

A friend of mine had a baby without insurance as at the time she couldnt afford it. Child has massive kidney issues and no insurance company will cover it now, as it was a pre-existing condition. She has thousands of euro worth of bills every year now even though the whole family has insurance. (dont want to scare you but she says if they had waited and stayed on public lists for all her issues the kid would most likely have died by now apparently!) Not worth it in my opinion!

I think you should really stick with the insurance if you can.

pwurple

Speak to the consultant secretary about transferring to public and what you would owe to date if you were to switch. You may have already incurred most of it.

littlewren

Thank you so much ladies for the advice. I truly appreciate it.