Do you have health insurance?

seamus

Foweva Awone wrote: »

Erm ... what exactly do you expect them to do for people who aren't their customers? Should shops give goods for free to customers who don't pay? How would BUPA etc pay their employees if they didn't generate revenue from their customers?

I think the commentary is more about how public facilities prioritise private/insured patients over public ones.

It's a valid issue and the practice should be ended; public hospitals shouldn't have private wards. But I'm not going to drop my health insurance on principle.

Ush1

seamus wrote: »

I think the commentary is more about how public facilities prioritise private/insured patients over public ones.

It's a valid issue and the practice should be ended; public hospitals shouldn't have private wards. But I'm not going to drop my health insurance on principle.

It's not only wards, it's clinics as well.

Many hospitals have public clinics one day a week and are for private patients the other four.

Corruptedmorals

Private clinics tend to be held in rooms either beside the hospital or dedicated private hospitals. Not in public outpatient departments. It varies a lot but it's quite typical for a consultant to sit in 2 public hospitals (clinics, surgery lists) and 1 private one, clinic and list. I have worked with a lot, public and private, and none in the public spend more than a third of their time in private. The public hospital will have other clinics and lists running while that consultant is doing private work elsewhere so it doesn't make a difference. Not having enough consultants is a problem but we also have nowhere near enough other doctors, nurses and all other staff and facilities to actually cut the waiting lists.

Also, there are private patients seen in public clinics. This tends to be either because they are too complicated to be seen in private rooms as they are very unwell and need input from many professionals, they may be cancer patients, or they may have requested to be seen publicly. Either way they are all public patients in a clinic. There are one or two consultants I know of who see private patients and treat them through insurance at the end of their public clinics. This is because the minor procedure done isn't available in the private hospital. They are added on to the lists and don't take spots away from public patients so it doesn't matter.

Ush1

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Private clinics tend to be held in rooms either beside the hospital or dedicated private hospitals. Not in public outpatient departments. It varies a lot but it's quite typical for a consultant to sit in 2 public hospitals (clinics, surgery lists) and 1 private one, clinic and list. I have worked with a lot, public and private, and none in the public spend more than a third of their time in private. The public hospital will have other clinics and lists running while that consultant is doing private work elsewhere so it doesn't make a difference. Not having enough consultants is a problem but we also have nowhere near enough other doctors, nurses and all other staff and facilities to actually cut the waiting lists.

Not in Tallaght Hospital Gastro or Nephrology departments.

Corruptedmorals

Ush1 wrote: »

Not in Tallaght Hospital Gastro or Nephrology departments.

Tend to. That wouldn't be typical. Most dublin hospitals have private clinics or the consultants in question sit in private hospitals. Plenty of consultants in Tallaght sit in Beacon/Blackrock/Hermitage.

Doc07

Ush1 wrote: »

It's not only wards, it's clinics as well.

Many hospitals have public clinics one day a week and are for private patients the other four.

Can you name a single example of this please.
Thanks.

Ush1

Doc07 wrote: »

Can you name a single example of this please.
Thanks.

See above.

Doc07

Ush1 wrote: »

See above.

Did the example get deleted?

Ush1

Doc07 wrote: »

Did the example get deleted?

No, Tallaght Gastro and Nephrology.

NIMAN

Foweva Awone wrote: »

Erm ... what exactly do you expect them to do for people who aren't their customers? Should shops give goods for free to customers who don't pay? How would BUPA etc pay their employees if they didn't generate revenue from their customers?

T'was a joke .... from many years ago...Alas Smith & Jones.

The_Kitty

I currently have the One plan with VHI for years and the cost has been creeping up a little every year. For my renewal it will be 96 per month. Laya have what seems like a very similar plan called Signify Plus for 85 per month. Would anyone know if Laya are good to deal with or should I stick with VHI instead of trying to make a small saving?

iamwhoiam

The_Kitty wrote: »

I currently have the One plan with VHI for years and the cost has been creeping up a little every year. For my renewal it will be 96 per month. Laya have what seems like a very similar plan called Signify Plus for 85 per month. Would anyone know if Laya are good to deal with or should I stick with VHI instead of trying to make a small saving?

I am with Laya and I find them really great .I have phoned with queries and they are always helpful .

meeeeh

The_Kitty wrote: »

I currently have the One plan with VHI for years and the cost has been creeping up a little every year. For my renewal it will be 96 per month. Laya have what seems like a very similar plan called Signify Plus for 85 per month. Would anyone know if Laya are good to deal with or should I stick with VHI instead of trying to make a small saving?

I had absolutely no issues dealing with them. You should change your plans every couple of years anyway to limit cost increases. If VHI is your preferred option, there are probably similar newer plans they offer (especially corporate) which are cheaper.

Sgt Hartman

I will never let myself go without health insurance ever again. I gave it up 6 years ago when the cost of it was creeping up every year. A year later I ended up paying out a fortune for back injections when I had severe sciatica. As soon as I was finished my treatment I signed up to a new health insurance plan. I'm currently on a basic plan but I'll never go without it again.

Stateofyou

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

I will never let myself go without health insurance ever again. I gave it up 6 years ago when the cost of it was creeping up every year. A year later I ended up paying out a fortune for back injections when I had severe sciatica. As soon as I was finished my treatment I signed up to a new health insurance plan. I'm currently on a basic plan but I'll never go without it again.

Hey just curious, what would have happened if you went public looking for the same treatment? A long (unbearable) wait?

smeal

I pay around €45 a month through a company subsidised plan. I had considered getting rid of it at one point as the only benefit I was getting from it was the 75% back for GP visits maybe once/twice a year if even.

Ended up with a heart scare before Christmas. Walked in to the Mater Private at 9am, didn’t even put my bum on the seat in the waiting room before I was seen by triage, got the full NCT and meeting with Consultant and was out of the place by 2pm with a 24 hour heart monitor. Went back in 24 hours later and had to wait no more than an hour to be seen by a Consultant. Cost with health insurance was €120 in total but worth every penny for the sheet of clean health.

Thankfully I was fine but the experience made me appreciate my health insurance in the event something more serious ever happens.

Asitis2019

Yes, I have had it for 8 years.

Paying €713 a year for it and the first time I actually need it for something I'm not covered. :rolleyes:

It is a good idea to have private health insurance but even with the myriad definite combinations it's extremely hard to find one suiting what I need. I have ansolutely no need or maternity or fertility benefits, yet a lot of plans seem to slap on plenty of those without offering anything back for basic GP visits or out-patient scans in a private hospital (even if you're just a day patient).

I used the hia.ie health comparison tool, went with what seemed like the widest ranging plan I could afford, and three full years of premiums later it's been fúck all use to me tbh. They make something that should be relatively straightforward ridiculously complicated.

Sgt Hartman

Stateofyou wrote: »

Hey just curious, what would have happened if you went public looking for the same treatment? A long (unbearable) wait?

I would have been waiting months for treatment...the consultant said I could I could go on his public list in St Joseph's in Raheny Dublin if I wanted but I would have been waiting a very long time before he got around to me. I paid to go private and I was only waiting a week.

Rufeo

I rarely get sick and don't have a family, so it's waste money for me.

sonyvision

Under 30 have VHI through work policy is 1,800 euro but actually costs me about 70 a month.

Needed it recently after I lost part of my vision, went to the swift clinic (vision had returned at this point) met doctor cost me 50 VHI policy covered 75 euro.

Next day straight to the hermitage in Lucan for CT scan and bloods, paid 500euro admitted through a&e (if I went public because it wasn't critical could be waiting 9 months) got there 9am all tests completed and passed released by 12 noon.. VHI refunded me 400 euro.

My better half has developed some heath issues, her policy is same cost as mine but she claims back anywhere between 3 - 5k a year in visits!!.

It's a gamble but I am happy paying 70euro a month.

On another note I have a policy (not sure the actual naming, but it could be critical illness) kicks in if I am out of work for more then 6 months due to injury, sickness etc) pays me 2/3rd of my salary increasing by 2% a year untill 66 years of age thats 125euro a year (can't recall who's that is with) but definitely never leaving that lapse!!.

Strumms

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

I will never let myself go without health insurance ever again. I gave it up 6 years ago when the cost of it was creeping up every year. A year later I ended up paying out a fortune for back injections when I had severe sciatica. As soon as I was finished my treatment I signed up to a new health insurance plan. I'm currently on a basic plan but I'll never go without it again.

Me either, I was Mr Healthy, then towards the end of 2016 I ended up with a long term illness / condition that I’ve been able to recover from about 85% and will be 100% by the year end. Before that having had health insurance through work I just let it lapse, never having needed it... a boneheaded move on my part... because the public health system in this country is just pure dogshît... especially when your condition and potential recovery depends on intensive physio and recovery, rehabilitation medicine in this country or the lack of it and treatment is a fûcking joke... publicly.

Don’t let anyone ever cod you into believing that Ireland has this supposed ‘world class health’ system... bullshît.. doctors, physios, nurses will all back me up.. we are well off in terms of the frontline staff I’ve just mentioned but in terms of the availability of certain treatments for those of us who were recommended intensive therapy, recovery... it’s for a lot of us, non insured only available by researching and shelling out cash...

Get insured people, you may never need it, but to have it if you do will be vital... health in this country for the most part is in bits.

Francescoli

I'm a single Male, aged 36.
I have been considering getting health insurance the last year or two as most people agree its beat not to leave it any later than late 30s to start.



The myriad of options and plans is mental and making a choice is near impossible.Ive near had any real health problems but there is a history or high blood pressure in the family and my own is a little high.


Anyone in a similar position and what plan would you recommend.

Stateofyou

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

I would have been waiting months for treatment...the consultant said I could I could go on his public list in St Joseph's in Raheny Dublin if I wanted but I would have been waiting a very long time before he got around to me. I paid to go private and I was only waiting a week.

The healthcare system in this country is broken.

karlitob

lcstress2012 wrote: »

I’m 25 and have been paying €60 a month for the past year with VHI. That’s €720 a year!! Not gonna bother renewing in the new year as I never used it and in my mind it’s money being wasted away that I could save. 🀷*♂️

It’s money down the drain. Totally wasted.

People forget that this is insurance, not a savings account. So once you don’t use it in a particular year then that’s it, it’s of no use.

The only benefit of private health insurance is that you pay for time, not quality. So I always advocate putting what money you would put into insurance into a health savings account. So you can pay for what you need if you need it.

It also depends on what policy you have and the excess you have to pay. People will spend money on an MRI that they’ll likely not need as it’s either under their excess or it’ll increase their premia, effectively increasing the cost of their policy. Most people can’t and wouldn’t claim for their GP visit which is the most the people under 65 utilise.

It’s important to note that the most common serious conditions that people under-55 have or will get is a trauma (car crash), cancer or a congenital disease such as CF. After that the common stuff is - musculoskeletal disorders, headaches.

It should also not surprise people that private consultants are for profit businesses. They rent rooms in private hospitals. They don’t want, or really treat, sick people. They treat mild illnesses and they’ll do all the can to get high volume, high expense, low acuity procedures. They don’t want you to take up the bed when they are finished with you. So that’s lot of diagnostics - and yes, a bucketload of unnecessary diagnostics (or worse, the health MoT which has no evidence base) or endoscopies, simple ortho procedures and cataracts.


For example, why anyone would bother to go to a private obstetrician to have their baby is utterly beyond me. Though I’m sure I’ll cue a whole range of reasons to justify spending €3-5k to deliver a baby that will come out anyway.

Women in ireland - in one fell swoop - could singlehandedly remove the private care on one specific sector of the health service by not utilising private obstetric care. Babies will be born in 10 months. The sicker patients will be seen as a priority no matter what you pay. And your consultant may not deliver your baby if I) someone more serious needs it and Ii) it’s 3 o clock in the morning on a Saturday. So while you might think you’re getting a better service, you’re not. You just think you are.

If you do go to hospital as a public patient - for a traumatic incident for instance or as a CF patient, the most you will spend - for some of the best healthcare in the world - is €800 per year. Far better value than what you’re paying on health insurance. And if you needed a billion euros worth of drugs - you’ll only pay a max of €144 a month. And while I know people may not be able to afford that - clearly those with health insurance can. The best of healthcare in the world for - at most €2000 a year - including the 20% tax rebate. That’s pretty good value to me. And obviously that’ll be much cheaper for the normal stuff.


Cancer services in this country are excellent!! Our health outcomes and access are some of the best in the world.


And I certainly will accept - before I get called out on it. But certainly health could be better managed, monies better used and that private is certainly has a role.

But it’s not beyond people to accept that it’s the structural issues in our health service which drives perverse incentives, listens to those who shout loudest and not those who need care most, and should not be surprised that government tell the HSE what to do and then don’t pay for it, leading to what seems to be a deficit but in actual fact is not keeping up with population demand. For example; our population has increased by x% but the same monies don’t come with that increase each year to stand still.

Finally, I also accept that access is a huge problem across all specialities but it’s not unreasonable to think that the 600,000 people on waiting lists need not be there.


So to summarise. Private sector is certainly necessary and important part of the Irish healthcare landscape. Don’t buy health insurance, save your money instead and use it as needed.

karlitob

Stateofyou wrote: »

The healthcare system in this country is broken.

It’s not broken.

karlitob

Strumms wrote: »

Don’t let anyone ever cod you into believing that Ireland has this supposed ‘world class health’ system... bullshît.. doctors, physios, nurses will all back me up..

I’m a physio. I don’t back you up.

Joe Don Dante

lcstress2012 wrote: »

I’m 25 and have been paying €60 a month for the past year with VHI. That’s €720 a year!! Not gonna bother renewing in the new year as I never used it and in my mind it’s money being wasted away that I could save. 🀷*♂️

Yes, I have Health Insurance

alexonhisown

Have had it for about 26 years and only used it once, but when i needed it i had surgery within 2 weeks. Would have been on waiting list for years otherwise. Not getting any younger so I dont want to give it up.

karlitob

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

I would have been waiting months for treatment...the consultant said I could I could go on his public list in St Joseph's in Raheny Dublin if I wanted but I would have been waiting a very long time before he got around to me. I paid to go private and I was only waiting a week.

Notwithstanding my other posts I have an opposite personal experience where gp referred me to private consultant cos she thought it was shorter when it was the same length as his same clinic in the public - 3 months. Funnily enough he never offered if I wanted it free or to pay a tonne for assessment and bloods.