Medical care, no health insurance

mozattack

Hi, apologies if this is the wrong forum.

I dont have medical insurance or medical card and I have this little lump on my arm which is getting kinda sore. Don't worry, doc said before it isn't serious.

My question is whether I can get that looked at in hospital by hoping on a list or something via PRSI? It isn't urgent so no need to pay to go private.

Gatling

Your gp needs to refer you to a hospital first

Red Nissan

You doctor can send you as a public patient. It's not free but a Heart By-Pass operation is €650 [or was] to a public patient all in.

A private patient would have that amount for his hospital bed alone.

Best talk to your doctor.

Cushie Butterfield

There is no set charge for a heart bypass procedure or for lump removal or any other procedure/treatment for a patient without a medical card availing of public hospital services. You are basically charged for the use of a bed & everything else is free.

If you are a public patient in a public hospital under the care of a consultant for treatment and you remain overnight, you are receiving overnight in-patient services.

If you are admitted to the hospital under the care of a consultant where you do not require the use of a bed overnight and your discharge from hospital is planned, you are receiving day in-patient services.

The statutory charge for overnight and day in-patient services is €75 per day up to a maximum of €750 in any 12 consecutive months.

If the OP is referred to a consultant by their GP they will pay the GP for their visit. They will get a referral letter from the GP to see a hospital consultant.They will then go on a public waiting list to see the consultant in their public clinic. There would be no charge for this as they were referred by their GP.

In the unlikely event that OP requires tests or surgery that can be performed in a day they would be treated as a day case in day ward & may be charged the €75 day in-patient services charge which covers everything. If they had to be admitted overnight or for a series of nights they would be charged the €75 overnight in-patient services charge for a maximum of 10 nights (you only have to pay for a maximum of ten nights in any 12 month period in any public hospital or combination of hospitals anywhere in the country & once you have done that all subsequent stays in any public hospital are not chargeable).

OP, if you are very concerned about the lump & feel that your GP has wrongly diagnosed you, you could either attend another GP for a second opinion, or opt to see a consultant as a private patient for peace of mind, which would avoid a long public waiting list. The initial consulation fee would probably be in the region of €120 to €150. If the consultant confirms what your GP said during an initial examination then that would be that, but if you required more tests, surgery etc then you'd be treated as a private patient & you'd probably need health insurance. If it turned out that the lump is not serious & nothing to worry about as your GP has stated you could start again by going through the public system & eventually possibly have it surgically removed.

mozattack

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what a helpful post, thanks----