Potential ulcer, but little money/ no medical card. Options?

Andy!!

Last wednesday and Friday I vomited and there was a little blood present on both occasions. I had worked from the 17th-27th with no days off, working 9am-8pm with a little bullying toerag for a boss and was not really eating either because of all the work related stress. So its little surprise a pharmacy doctor I visited on Friday suggest I have an ulcer, and that I should go to hospital as soon as I can.

Right now I am weighing my options. I know you can't put a price on health, but there sure is a price on my rent! :pac: I'm not exactly flush right now and I don't have a medical card. So I have got to get treated in the most economic way possible.

I am hearing different things from different people. If I just walk into an A&E, I will have to pay €100 on the spot, wait for up to 16 hours and then have to pay for any further treatments, correct? I'm talking about endoscopes, anaesthetic, etc. If I do this, and dont pay the bill until I get a medical card, can I pay the oustanding with the medical card? I think I am eligible for one.

I heard if I payed a GP's fee (Is it more than €50 now?) and get a refferal, everything after that is free, but that refferal will take a long time?

Any help with this would be very much appreciated.

tomdublin

If you go to A&E you pay 100 (you don't have to pay upfront) but any subsequent treatment is free, so your bill won't be more than that as long as you are going to a public hospital. It's been known that some people give a false name and address when going to A&E so they don't have to pay at all (they don't check ID). I wouldn't advocate that of course. As for the waiting time, if they deem your case serious they will treat you quite fast, otherwise you might wait for a few hours but it probably won't be 16.

Good luck!

Doug Cartel

When you say a "pharmacy doctor" do you mean a pharmacist or an actual doctor - like a GP.

The way peptic ulcers are treated has had a big change in the past few years. They used to be considered a big deal, but then some bright spark realised they can be treated with standard antibiotics.

If you haven't seen a proper doctor then I'd go to the GP first. He might be able to just write you a prescription without running a load of tests, but I'm not sure about that.

Miaireland

You could always ring your GP/ Out of Hours serice and ask them to give you a letter for A&E. That would waiver the €100 charge. However they may not be happy doing that without seeing you.

Brian?

You need to go to a doctor. Thread locked.