Moving to Ireland with Crohn's

marlo85

Hi Guys,

Looking for a little info on the health care situation in Ireland for those who suffer from Crohn's Disease.

I am looking into the possibility of moving to Ireland from the UK where I receive regular infusions of Infliximab (6/7 weekly) and other services free at use.

I understand to achieve Infliximab treatment in Ireland I would require a referral from my gastro team here and then it is down to the hospital in Ireland as to whether they will treat me with inflixi or another (cheaper) drug.

My question is how long would the process usually take? I would need to sort accommodation to then apply for the drug payment scheme before I can even get an appointment with the gastro team in Ireland?

If I manage to secure Inflixi treatment are they likely to reduce my infusions? I have read doctors here prescribe with cost in mind too with regards to the hospital.

What are the general health costs for some one in my position. Hospital fees, gp fees etc.

If I require surgery would I be liable for the costs as health insurance wont cover me for this pre-existing condition. (5 years treatment free clause etc.)

Sorry for the long email. Just hoping someone can shed some light as Iv'e not really had much joy from contacting the hospitals.

Thank you.

Eddy_boy

Hi Marlo,
I’m not sure I can help you with all your questions but I may have some advice. There was an agreement between the UK and Ireland whereby UK citizens got their medical care directly reimbursed by the NHS . I’m an Irish citizen but I lived in the UK for many years, because I was paying tax there, this agreement also applied. Any time I was back in Ireland and I needed to go to the GP, I just gave them my NHS number and they charged the NHS directly, there was no need to pay upfront and then get a refund. As far as I know this also applies to prescription charges.
I’m not sure if this system is still in place and in your case, because you will no longer be paying tax in the UK I’m not sure if you’ld be covered under this scheme anyway but it’s definitely worth your while contacting HM revenue.
Regarding whether they would treat you with a cheaper drug, if you’re having good results then I would insist on staying on infliximab; I’d be very surprised if a gastroenterologist would change your medication on the basis of price. When I came back to Ireland, I was on humira and I’ve stayed on it since (although it’s a little different because you can get humira from regular pharmacies rather than hospital pharmacies).
Regarding fees, a GP generally costs between €45-60 for a visit but I don’t know about hospital costs as I’m covered by health insurance. You can find some more info here http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/healthcareinIreland.aspx
Hope that helps,
Eddy

marlo85

Hey Eddy,

Thanks so much for the reply and info. Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. That is really interesting about the NHS covering costs. I will be looking into this now to see if it would apply. As you mentioned I would be looking to be moving with a full time job to go to therefore becoming an ordinary resident so I'm not sure if it will.

I will follow your link now and do a little more digging.

Thanks again.

Marlo