how many farmers have health insurance

Greengrass1

I think its an absolute must
No matter how hard things got here parents never dropped it
Can mods add a pole please?

_Brian

Yep. It only seems expensive till your sick. There have been years it covered us in excess if €30k in expenses.
My wife was sick years ago and I'd say the instant access to specialist consultants probably saved her life.

whelan2

yup, i do, i reduced cover last year. WE had a discussion here last year http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=87535720

blue5000

Yes, just about hanging on by my fingernails. Consultants are a rip off though, €150 to see them at first visit even with health insurance.

Farrell

Laya here, it is expensive & massive increases each year.
Had to actually take some important stuff the last time (will be back on next time).
Sadly it's a must

jt65

with vhi for 30 years, premium about €4K per annul (3 adults)

over the last 3 years or so oh/ and myself had claims of almost €50k,

no problems with settlements

solerina

No, we think about it every year but so far we have decided against it as its so expensive....and luckily we havn't needed it so far

simx

Hopefully can afford it next year, kind of a thing ya can't afford not to have I think, I'm young enough still but that wouldn't say, my father was lucky he had it when he was sick, I seen receipts for how much hospitals, consultants were costing and it's very scary figures

I said

Have it wouldn't be without it. Expensive but worth it in the long run

freedominacup

I said wrote: »

Have it wouldn't be without it. Expensive but worth it in the long run

My oul boy came home from uch in Cork yesterday after cancer op. He was lodging a cattle cheque one day in April and called into the doc whose surgery is right beside the bank on the spur of the moment to get a psa test done. They asked him to come back in the morning and it would take ten minutes to do.

Doc rang a couple of days later and the first thing he said to the mother was that he hoped they weren't like the forty percent of people who had left their insurance lapse. As luck would have it we had increased my parents cover this year with only a small increase in premium overall due to a much better deal for the kids. He was in to see a consultant in short order and they were very quick to establish what cover he had. He probably would have been ok on the old plan but the cover he now has is excellent. He's had been battery of tests and scans over the past four months and a major op last week. With all of the other worries it was a huge one off the list to know money wasn't any issue.

I have no idea what the cost of everything he got done would be but one of the scans cost over 6k alone. The money would have had to be found if he hadn't got the cover but it would have been huge extra pressure in an already very difficult situation. Every time you need it, it reinforces why you have it. I'm sure there's more than one poor unfortunate who found out they had a problem before my father who are still waiting for treatment but as long as the system is as it is health insurance is a must. After the mortgage and the groceries it has to come next imo.

I know its off the thread a bit but the oul boy said it to me in passing on Sunday when he was coming around a bit after the op. All of these local hospital campaigners want a collective toe in the hole. The best guy for my father's problem was in Cork and all the hand wringing in the world wouldn't change this. He had to travel for treatment end of. One of the main reasons that this guy is as good as he is, is because he's in Cork and seeing big numbers of cases with good resources. This can't be replicated in every on horse kiss me arse hospital in the country and the sooner people wise up the better. The regional hospital in Waterford is being slowly downgraded in an underhand manner. Death by a thousand cuts in a way. It would be better if they just did it if that's the plan and let people in the area make an informed decision about whether or not to even go there if they have something serious to deal with rather than the messing that is currently going on. Surgeons agitating to base themselves in dublin and other hospitals in the region with more political clout trying to prevent services being moved or improved there.

amen

I have no idea what the cost of everything he got done would be but one of the scans cost over 6k alone

It would have cost you nothing (max I think is €750). Private Health Cover basically ensures that you get to see the Consultant quicker/jump the Queue. If you have a non urgent issue than it may take several months/year to get seen.

If you have a very serious issue they you will be seen very quickly in the public system. Two personal experiences with a young'ish family member had chest pains was sent to hospital and required major heart surgery within 3 days all paid for by the public system. Second was a family member with cancer, again all paid for the by the state and seen very rapidly.

farmerjj

Whats a PSA test?Freedominacup

freedominacup

farmerjj wrote: »

Whats a PSA test?Freedominacup

http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/guide/psa

It's one most of us here should be getting done. Apologies to the ladies but ye have yer own troubles. And gg he's a bit young yet.:p

slippy wicket

Its expensive, but I wouldnt be without it.
113 a month, but that does include day to day medical expenses.

whelan2

slippy wicket wrote: »

Its expensive, but I wouldnt be without it.
113 a month, but that does include day to day medical expenses.

198 euro a month here 2 adults and 3 kids

just do it

Freedom

My best wishes to your father. No argument from me on any of your points raised.