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Health Insurance?

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    #92
    Dughorm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 895 ✭✭✭Dughorm


    c_man wrote: »
    I've seen enough of public service to hang onto private for dear life. Even for waiting lists it's amazing. I had to have a minor operation during the year. It was nothing life threatening but better to get it over with. Went to the doctor she explains I could be "a year to eighteen months waiting to see a consultant". Reminded her that I had private and bingo, it was all done and dusted with me on the mend within six weeks.

    Good to hear you're better now. My next comment isn't about you personally but about the health system we have...

    Is it fair that because you can afford private health insurance you get to queue-skip to visit the same consultant and get the same service than someone who was diagnosed and waiting over a year before you?

    If the system didn't incentivise all this queue-skipping maybe people wouldn't be waiting "a year to eighteen months" in the first place?


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    #93
    FrStone
    Registered Users Posts: 720 ✭✭✭FrStone


    Dughorm wrote: »
    Good to hear you're better now. My next comment isn't about you personally but about the health system we have...

    Is it fair that because you can afford private health insurance you get to queue-skip to visit the same consultant and get the same service than someone who was diagnosed and waiting over a year before you?

    If the system didn't incentivise all this queue-skipping maybe people wouldn't be waiting "a year to eighteen months" in the first place?

    Most likely they would be waiting even longer. Private health insurance takes so much pressure off the public system and in many ways subsidises the public system, what with the astronomical charges the hse charges the health insurer when a customer does use their facilities.


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    #94
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,119 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    Dughorm wrote: »

    Is it fair that because you can afford private health insurance you get to queue-skip to visit the same consultant and get the same service than someone who was diagnosed and waiting over a year before you?

    Most people agree it's not fair.

    Yet pol parties don't seem to want to change it.

    There should be a single-tier hosp system.


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    #95
    Dughorm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 895 ✭✭✭Dughorm


    FrStone wrote: »
    Most likely they would be waiting even longer. Private health insurance takes so much pressure off the public system and in many ways subsidises the public system, what with the astronomical charges the hse charges the health insurer when a customer does use their facilities.

    If the private health insurance system was taking patients out of public hospitals and into private clinics I could understand that - but to my knowledge consultants in public hospitals take private work also and use public facilities that add to the delays, no?


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    #96
    FrStone
    Registered Users Posts: 720 ✭✭✭FrStone


    Dughorm wrote: »
    If the private health insurance system was taking patients out of public hospitals and into private clinics I could understand that - but to my knowledge consultants in public hospitals take private work also and use public facilities that add to the delays, no?

    No new consultants are put on that contact so it won't happen in the future. However there are consultants who have this contract at the moment, they might be contracted to do 20 hours a week with the hse. They are allowed use their office to do private work too once they do their contacted hours with the hse. So really it doesn't add to delays at all.

    On the very rare occasion a consultant might get a scan done by the hse and the hse charges them through the roof for this. So much so that insurers are pushing for scans to be done in private clinics where the costs are much more reasonable.

    The political will isn't there too switch to a one tier system as anyone who currently pays insurance will be screwed over. We will most likely have to continue paying under universal health insurance and we will get nothing for it. We won't be able to skip queues etc... And those on low income will prob be once again subsidised by the rest of us.


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    #97
    jester77
    Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    Dughorm wrote: »
    Good to hear you're better now. My next comment isn't about you personally but about the health system we have...

    Is it fair that because you can afford private health insurance you get to queue-skip to visit the same consultant and get the same service than someone who was diagnosed and waiting over a year before you?

    If the system didn't incentivise all this queue-skipping maybe people wouldn't be waiting "a year to eighteen months" in the first place?

    There is too little money being paid in by everyone to afford that sort of system. I pay in a month for a basic plan here what people pay for a whole year in Ireland. If you want top health care, then it has to be paid for.


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    #98
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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    #99
    worded
    Registered Users Posts: 4,547 ✭✭✭worded


    jester77 wrote: »
    There is too little money being paid in by everyone to afford that sort of system. I pay in a month for a basic plan here what people pay for a whole year in Ireland. If you want top health care, then it has to be paid for.

    Paid for through the nose.

    I was paying 250 PM at one stage. Young healthy family with one kid .. 250 PM ! Totally OTT.

    There is no private health for children yet there is a charge for kids - please explain that.


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    #100
    Arbiter of Good Taste
    Registered Users Posts: 2,200 ✭✭✭Arbiter of Good Taste


    Canadel wrote: »
    When you can't even acknowledge the other tier is when you know it exists.

    Why don't you bother to read my post properly. I didn't say it doesn't exist. What I said is that in many cases people complaining would be able to afford some kind of health insurance if they chose to prioritise it.


    And before you try to misinterpret me again, I do acknowledge that there are genuinely people who can't afford it. But a lot more can than are willing to admit


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    #101
    FrStone
    Registered Users Posts: 720 ✭✭✭FrStone


    worded wrote: »
    Paid for through the nose.

    I was paying 250 PM at one stage. Young healthy family with one kid .. 250 PM ! Totally OTT.

    There is no private health for children yet there is a charge for kids - please explain that.

    That's really not a huge amount to pay for 2 adults and a child.


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    #102
    Canadel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭Canadel


    Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »
    Why don't you bother to read my post properly. I didn't say it doesn't exist. What I said is that in many cases people complaining would be able to afford some kind of health insurance if they chose to prioritise it.


    And before you try to misinterpret me again, I do acknowledge that there are genuinely people who can't afford it. But a lot more can than are willing to admit
    I did read your post properly and I found it entirely distasteful. The figures you mention as being quite affordable with some small sacrifices, could mean huge changes to the the standard of living of a lot of people on low incomes, of which there are many in this country. There most certainly is a two tier society, but the tiers are so far apart that you have began to lose sight of the other.


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    #103
    Arbiter of Good Taste
    Registered Users Posts: 2,200 ✭✭✭Arbiter of Good Taste


    worded wrote: »
    Paid for through the nose.

    I was paying 250 PM at one stage. Young healthy family with one kid .. 250 PM ! Totally OTT.

    There is no private health for children yet there is a charge for kids - please explain that.

    At one point my health insurance was €135 per month just for one adult. I changed. Shop around if you're not happy


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    #104
    jester77
    Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    worded wrote: »
    Paid for through the nose.

    I was paying 250 PM at one stage. Young healthy family with one kid .. 250 PM ! Totally OTT.

    There is no private health for children yet there is a charge for kids - please explain that.

    That's really not a lot, I pay over 500 per month and the kids are 150 each on top of that. And that is just a basic plan, I've to pay the first 600 of medical costs per year before I can even make a claim.


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    #105
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    jester77 wrote: »
    That's really not a lot, I pay over 500 per month and the kids are 150 each on top of that. And that is just a basic plan, I've to pay the first 600 of medical costs per year before I can even make a claim.
    That is not a basic plan. In fact I know of no plan which is 6000 a year. VHIs top plan is around 5k.

    1800 for a kid again is a top plan considering that far cheaper rate. You are either mistaken or spoofing.


    If you are under fifty you can get a very good plan for 1300 euro. Over fifty if you need orthopedic cover you will be pushing 2k to 2,500.


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    #106
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    Personally I would never be without insurance, those who are and can afford it are very very foolish. To the guy who cancelled his policy and told the rep he was spending it on a holiday, you're a very foolish man and I suspect you will regret your decision!

    If you are in a car crash health insurance does little. But if you need something elective done it is literally a life saver.


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    #107
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    As I previously posted my OH needs to see a skin specialist.

    Beaumont told him two years to see someone publicly

    His doctor is concerned it might be cancerous, but it's still two years.

    No wonder we have health insurance.


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    #108
    Gael23
    Registered Users Posts: 12,091 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    I was out canvassing for the GE last night, that's not too important. We knocked on a door and got a woman caring for her mother who has was diagnosed with a brain tumour 2 months ago and is still waiting for an appointment with a specialist neurosurgeon.
    The reality is that if the person in question had health insurance they would be able to go to a private hospital within 2-3 weeks, never mind months


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    #109
    fernrock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 415 ✭✭fernrock


    Now that the government are considering cancelling the tax credit on health insurance , does that mean they will also cancel the levy.
    We got our annual health insurance recently bill with a tax relief of €200 each and a levy of €403 each.

    Add to the above the penalty €800 per day for a trolly when you have health insurance.


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    #110
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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