Do you have health insurance?

afatbollix

Had a shoulder injury which the GPs got wrong for 2 years and finally an out of town GP was covering who leaned back in his chair and said lets get you to a specialist.

I went to him a week later and he said I needed surgery. Said he did surgery on a Monday or a Wednesday just book myself in when I wanted it. Cost 15k for the day.

HSE is great for cancer and life-threatening stuff but the bit of discomfort stuff like hips and knees your quicker to go up to Belfast or private.

They should send you the bill if your treated by the HSE like I got from my insurance company.

Cost for treatment 15,000
Paid by your tax -15,000
Cost to you 0

em_cat

I had to spend 5 months as an inpatient due to a serious RTA, a month & half of that was due to the bureaucracy because they wouldn’t take measurements from a private OT for a wheelchair and in turn meant I had to remain in a PT ward, I was offered a private room, took it because I couldn’t stand being on a ward. Having insurance allowed me this option but also it stepped in to pay my hospital fees as they weren’t covered by prsi as it was an RTA. For perspective my accommodation rates where small relative to the procedures and all the surgical interventions. All in all the fees between the acute & rehabilitation have come in just under E600K. Would I be without insurance, not a chance.

smelly sock

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

"shouldn't"

? Thats what i said

kravmaga

X111111111111 wrote: »

Don't pay it on principle alone. I can well afford it but not going to play my part on turning our health service to sh1t.

Public health service is already p1ss poor and in a sh1t state

DellyBelly

It's expensive but worth it. Anybody who has a family would be failing to look after them in my opinion if they didn't have private health insurance. Its essential

glack

Our system is such that if you have a serious, diagnosed medical condition you will be will taken care of. Have seen first hand in my own family the fantastic life saving care that can be provided by our health services. However, too often people are waiting months and years to meet consultants or to get scans. It’s a total lottery system based on what your local hospital is, what the waiting lists are like in your area - but generally once in the system urgent issues are dealt with in a reasonable amount of time. My fear always is how long you may have to wait for the scan or consultation needed to get you in. Wouldn’t be without my health insurance for that reason. I’d cut my Sky TV subscriptions/expensive holidays or weekends away/nights out etc before I’d cut that. But different people have different priorities.

NIMAN

Yes, through work.

And it's been great over the last few years.

Really got my value out of it.

the_syco

RMAOK wrote: »

I have health insurance organised through my place of work. While I'd rarely need to use it (thankfully), I would rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it. (If you know what I mean).

Check if it's worth jack sh|t. Had VHI before. Current employer offered some piddley POS, so didn't apply for it; it covered very little, and for an extra 20-40, you'd be properly covered.

Shall probably go back to VHI Company Plan.

Darc19 wrote: »

However if you play any sport

If you partake in any sport, you need health insurance. If you jog, run, or cycle to work, you need health insurance.

Sure, you can do without it, but a 100 a month won't hit you as bad as an emergency hospital visit will.

EllieB wrote: »

Isn’t there an €80 per night charge for public patients - capped at €800?

When I broke my arm, I was put in a ward with 20 other people. A room became available at 3am, and as I had VHI inurance, I was put into it. Well worth the money.

Pretty sure I had two wisdom teeth removed as well with it. No waiting list. In & out in the same day, gums sewn together with biodegradable thread, so I never had to go in to have it removed. Had two teeth removed in the public health when I was a kid; I woke up with a towel in my mouth to stop the bleeding.

harr

I have it last 20 odd years , got Vhi in one of my first jobs and kept it since. Didn’t use it much till I got to my 40,s but it’s a blessing now. It was a struggle to keep it up during the recession but glad now we still have it.
Had stomach problems last year and my GP sent my referral letter to specialist for me to be seen publicly by mistake got appointment to be seen in 160 weeks .. went private and got seen in 3 and had Operation done in less than a month. I would have been in some state if I had to wait the 160 weeks..

BeerWolf

One of those "Better to have and not need, than to need and not have" things.

With Bupa, paying €45/m -- working at the Airport out in the Airfield, it's pretty much needed.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

mariaalice wrote: »

This kind of thing can upset people the cancer services in the public system is excellent its one of the things the HSE dose well, someone will not get lesser treatment just because they are in the public system that is an important point.

He’s right though.

If I had health insurance, I’d have got scanned way, way sooner and probably wouldn’t have been diagnosed with terminal cancer in my early 30s. Being a public patient absolutely delayed things for me. Substantially, actually.

Who cares if it’s upsetting? I’d rather hear something upsetting than be dead.

Itssoeasy

Yes I do and while I've not has reason to use in recently if the worst came to the worst I'd do my best to keep paying it. Your health is your wealth.

ILoveYourVibes

I have it. I have it mostly so it will cost me LESS to have it as i get older.

glomar

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

that makes no sense ...you would helping take the pressure off the health service.

but isnt it the same hospitals - doctors etc ... something wrong with this picture

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

This kind of thing can upset people the cancer services in the public system is excellent its one of the things the HSE dose well, someone will not get lesser treatment just because they are in the public system that is an important point.

This, a thousand times over. The HSE are phenomenal at treating public patients once they know/are reasonably sure it's a cancer diagnosis....however actually getting diagnosed in the public system is a whole other ball game. This is where the private health insurance can make all the difference. Even with priority referral pathways it can take a long time to be seen publicly if you 'might' have cancer but once it's confirmed they are exceptional.

McCrack

Deleted User wrote: »

This, a thousand times over. The HSE are phenomenal at treating public patients once they know/are reasonably sure it's a cancer diagnosis....however actually getting diagnosed in the public system is a whole other ball game. This is where the private health insurance can make all the difference. Even with priority referral pathways it can take a long time to be seen publicly if you 'might' have cancer but once it's confirmed they are exceptional.

Yes and no, many of delayed or misdiagnosis of cancers that have come before the High Court are against private clinics

Graces7

A neighbour here with a very active job, waited over three years for a hip replacement in appalling pain. He could not afford private health care or to pay up front to use the cross-border initiative.

I saw him literally grey with pain. Should not be like that. Severe chronic pain needs urgent attention. All he was offered was panadol.

The hardest thing to get used to when I came here from the UK was no more NHS. Thankfully being old and on a pension meant I am on medical card/public health care. And as others have said, for acute/emergency problems eg a smashed wrist, no issues, Until you are given OPD appointments when the waiting is literally hours.. same as with NHS..

iamwhoiam wrote: »

The HSE is fine for acute problems and works well when you are in acute need
Where is falls down badly is for chronic conditions awaiting to be seen by a consultant . There are people waiting years for cateract repairs or hip replacement etc , living in chronic pain for years . Its is by no means fine

Graces7

Never been asked for money.. I have a Medical Card though.


QUOTE=EllieB;112113369]Isn’t there an €80 per night charge for public patients - capped at €800?

harr

Just to follow up on my post earlier... Example would be my dad no insurance in his late 70s. Two years ago a mole on his back changed appearance so went to doctor eventually so GP sent him to dermatology with a 7 week wait and that was a rush appointment. He took a look and booked him in for a biopsy another 4 week wait then 2 week wait for results. He had skin cancer so another appointment with specialist in Dublin..quick appointment 2 weeks. So in total before he was told he had cancer was nearly 4 months.
Once he got into hospital and they started to treat him the service was brilliant even by going public but the long waits to see specialists on public waiting lists is shocking.
That’s the difference with having insurance , if had insurance he would have got his diagnosis in weeks rather than months.
Dad was lucky and recovered well but I know his GP pulled a few strings to get him to specialist ASAP

del roy

harr wrote: »

Just to follow up on my post earlier... Example would be my dad no insurance in his late 70s. Two years ago a mole on his back changed appearance so went to doctor eventually so GP sent him to dermatology with a 7 week wait and that was a rush appointment. He took a look and booked him in for a biopsy another 4 week wait then 2 week wait for results. He had skin cancer so another appointment with specialist in Dublin..quick appointment 2 weeks. So in total before he was told he had cancer was nearly 4 months.
Once he got into hospital and they started to treat him the service was brilliant even by going public but the long waits to see specialists on public waiting lists is shocking.
That’s the difference with having insurance , if had insurance he would have got his diagnosis in weeks rather than months.
Dad was lucky and recovered well but I know his GP pulled a few strings to get him to specialist ASAP

So true, I was diagnosed and had mole removed in one week. Vhi payer.

EllieB

Graces7 wrote: »

Never been asked for money.. I have a Medical Card though.


QUOTE=EllieB;112113369]Isn’t there an €80 per night charge for public patients - capped at €800?

Ah, medical card patients don’t pay the per night fee.

Galwayguy35

No, must look into getting something sorted in the new year though.

Never needed it up to this but I'm 45 now so on the law of averages that's when the engine starts to give trouble.

Paying over 1000 euro in life cover and would get a lump sum on that for various conditions but like them all I'm worth more on it dead than alive.

Corruptedmorals

Wouldn't be without health insurance...I work in a hospital and see the waiting lists that we have. My department is congratulated for utilising appointment spaces and extra clinics for the patients waiting the longest and having a shorter list. We have managed with enormous effort to keep our list static..at 3 years. Other departments have gone over 5.

Anybody can see a consultant privately of course but the cost of procedures and hospital stays as a self payer is through the roof. My insurance hasn't really done anything for me in the past 5 years but it did a lot before that and the thought of dropping it and having to serve a waiting period is really not worth it.

It's great there's so many options now and can pick and choose higher excess for lower monthly premium for policies that get very little use. Cornmarket are great to deal with to do all of the comparison work for you including lesser known plans.

Samuel T. Cogley

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Paying over 1000 euro in life cover and would get a lump sum on that for various conditions but like them all I'm worth more on it dead than alive.

:eek:

Ger Roe

Masala wrote: »

Look at it the same way as Car Insurance. You can pay car 8nsurance for years and get no benefit. When you have a crash ... it pays out.

Same principle....

Not quite.... at the same time you are also paying for a parallel system that is also supposed to cover you (public). I think it should be one or the other.... go fully private or use your tax funded services. The choice should not be based on death risk scenarios where you might get worse or pass away on a waiting list. If you want to go to a hotel grade ward room with gold plated taps for your treatment, then pay up and enjoy.... but don't go down the road of suggesting that even basic and necessary health services are only available to those who pay.

The government pulled a big fast one on everyone when they scaremongered us all into taking out private insurance, instead of improving the system that we were already paying for. They basically signposted that the public service was below par and drove us like sheep to the financial slaughter towards the private companies. This was done to try and reduce the focus on the system that they (successive governments) have mismanaged for decades.

Unfortunately, as long as the two tier a la carte sytem exists, we will all loose out. Those with public cover only will get an inferior service and those paying for private will keep paying, and paying and paying.

kerryjack

Never had it till I got married and wife talked me in to it in the good times and bad times came and we still payed it because of the kids, caused many an argument in our house. At 25 I wouldn't bother you probably better of spending the money on gym and leisure membership and work that body stay off the drugs, drink moderately eat healthy,and loads of protected sex, best insurance you can have.

voldejoie

I have it through work and although I haven't had to use it much (beyond recouping some GP visit fees) it's great for my peace of mind to know that I have it if I need it.

Work made a big song and dance about the cost of the policy increasing this year so a few colleagues were wondering if it might be scrapped in a few years as part of the benefit package, but I think it's actually a great way of them highlighting the true benefit of having the health coverage as a way of retaining staff. Also they cover the health insurance of all my US colleagues and that is a hefty bill, so I think there would be uproar if they ever tried to do away with it here!

To quote Charlton Heston, re our Health Insurance, they can "prise it from my cold dead hands". Pay approx €300 a month for the family.

I never want to have a conversation with my wife or kids that goes, 'Yeah, that, we stopped paying for that, but look at the new decking around the house.'

Musefan

Insured to the hilt here with health insurance and a life insurance policy covering serious illnesses.

Trigger Happy

I would not be without it and last year we reaped the benefits of it many times over.
Dread to think of having to go public tbh.