Consultant fees

looksee

I can't find anywhere more appropriate to put this, I would be grateful for people's reactions.

I was recently referred to a consultant for a medical consultation and I was charged €180 - no procedures, no tests, just a consultation, a quick examination and a prescription. And a great deal of very charming chat. I have to go back and the follow up will be €120.

We have had a lot of contact with consultants this year and all have charged between 120 and 140 with follow ups of around 80. I really didn't have a great deal of choice about this particular consultant for various reasons.

I know they are expensive, but I felt this was pushing things a bit too far.

cookie1977

It's shop around, get better medical insurance (at a cost) or wait on the public system. They can charge what they like. We've been charge anything from 2000-4000 for private delivery of our children.
But I do bemoan the high cost and variety of prices.

RoboRat

€150 - €200 is about what consultants charge.

I had to go to one this year and I gave him my insurance details prior to the consultation to ensure I was covered for the procedure; I was in one of the hospitals he operated out of. Had the consultation and after he took my money proceeded to tell me that he was moving solely to a hospital (one which I wasn't covered by with my plan). I thought that was very sneaky.

To make matters worse, he told me that I needed an operation so then I went to another consultant and after paying another €180, the new consultant told me that I didn't need an operation.

Chancers, end of.

looksee

Yes I have medical insurance, but they do not cover consultant fees unless it is part of an in-patient or day-patient procedure.

Noxin

Only some levels of medical insurance cover consultant fees.

I know mine did not a few months back and I had to shell out 180 notes for it.

As cookie said, It's either pay up or wait to be seen publicly. Personally I'm glad I paid up because he knew exactly what the problem was when 3 other doctors couldn't figure it out.

Chris_5339762

A way to avoid the followup charge is to ask them to write the letter to your GP. Then get the GP to read it to you, or send you a copy.

Nonoperational

RoboRat wrote: »

€150 - €200 is about what consultants charge.

I had to go to one this year and I gave him my insurance details prior to the consultation to ensure I was covered for the procedure; I was in one of the hospitals he operated out of. Had the consultation and after he took my money proceeded to tell me that he was moving solely to a hospital (one which I wasn't covered by with my plan). I thought that was very sneaky.

To make matters worse, he told me that I needed an operation so then I went to another consultant and after paying another €180, the new consultant told me that I didn't need an operation.

Chancers, end of.

Chancers? Really? Your free to not go to them if you think you know better yourself.

looksee

Nonoperational wrote: »

Chancers? Really? Your free to not go to them if you think you know better yourself.

Roborat's experience is very little to do with diagnosis and almost all to do with administration. You don't need years of education and training to get organised.

RoboRat

Chancers? Really? Your free to not go to them if you think you know better yourself.

Did you read the post? If you did you would have seen that I told the consultant prior to the visit what my level of cover was to ensure that if I met him, I was covered for him to do the procedure. My insurance covered me for certain hospitals and I met him in one of those hospitals. He knew that he wasn't going to be working from that hospital anymore and that the new hospital wasn't covered by my insurance yet still he took the consultation. He should have been upfront with me before I met him and told me that my insurance wouldn't cover him as he was moving and I would have gone to another consultant.

Also, how does one consultant deem you need a procedure and another that you don't? I am not saying that I know better, but its a straightforward knee problem, surely it needs an Operation or it doesn't... thats why I am paying the €200 fees... surely they should know?

I am still no wiser and still have a f***** knee but I have been relieved of €360 of my hard earned cash so obviously I feel a bit aggrieved about it all.

uck51js9zml2yt

I paid 170 for my 2 year old last week. Have follow up in Jan for 100.
I got a letter in the meantime for public with a minimum wait of 18 months.
The money isn't an issue in my book even though it stretches us. When he gets his operation I have an excess of 125.

davo10

Robo, I do not want to get involved with the fee aspect of this thread, I believe that when you go private, you are not paying to see a consultant, you can see him/her on the public list, what you are paying for is to be seen faster, to skip the que, so all of us have to decide if its worth it or not, if not then you "wait on line".


What you recieved is a second opinion based on the consultants assessment of your problem. All doctors do not give the same advice, I have often read about football players getting second opinions in the US or Germany etc, and you would think they would have access to the best orthopaedic surgeons. The fact that your knee still hurts without operation, does that mean the first consultant was correct and surgery is needed?

OP regarding consultant moving, I think this was bad form not to inform you. I am not surprised he is moving, renting rooms in private hospitals is incredibly expensive. I am surprised he is moving to a hospital which does not have a relationship with the insurer, you would think that this would restrict his practice and be bad for business. Are you sure about this fact?

deelite

Went to a consultant this year and at the time thought the price was astronomical - I think it was 350 ish or there about.

However looking back on it now I genuinely think it was good value - we were in there for an hour and a quarter and everything was fully explained / discussed and six days later we received a fully detailed six page report of our meeting.

My own GP charges 55 euro for a visit (maybe 10 minutes).

RoboRat

OP regarding consultant moving, I think this was bad form not to inform you. I am not surprised he is moving, renting rooms in private hospitals is incredibly expensive. I am surprised he is moving to a hospital which does not have a relationship with the insurer, you would think that this would restrict his practice and be bad for business. Are you sure about this fact?

Yes 100% sure, they have a relationship now, but its only a recent development.

Secondly, I didn't want a second opinion, I had to get one seeing as the original surgeon couldn't do my OP. To fill in the facts (might help why I am a bit pissed off). I had surgery done 6 years ago (complete ACL replacement). It never felt right and I never had full movement back... it pops a lot and basically can be very uncomfortable. Anyhow, went to surgeon 1 (as above). When he couldn't do the procedure I went back to the original surgeon (surgeon 2) who did the initial replacement and he looked at it, charged me €180 and said it was fine - just wear and tear. I think this is because he done the initial OP and he was covering his arse. Anyhow, I am going to see a third surgeon now, hopefully I will get it cleared up finally.

cookie1977

davo10 wrote: »

Robo, I do not want to get involved with the fee aspect of this thread, I believe that when you go private, you are not paying to see a consultant, you can see him/her on the public list, what you are paying for is to be seen faster, to skip the que, so all of us have to decide if its worth it or not, if not then you "wait on line".

The fee also guarantees seeing the consultant. Something the public service does not guarantee (you may see a reg or sho).