Have medical card, confused re going private for an operation

Fogmatic

Background, if relevant;
Spouse and I (both over 70) have medical cards. Spouse has been diagnosed with a inguinal hernia and put on the waiting list for an operation. As waiting time via medical card is supposed to be 18 months (in theory) and that's hard for Spouse to cope with, we're looking into going private for this operation. As the tech user in our house, I've found some very rough ideas of the cost. We're on state pensions, with savings diminished to well below the medical card threshold, but I'm sure it would be worth the investment for quality of life (increasingly precious at our age!).

We've studied the HSE's health A-Z on this particular op, and it seems likely to need between zero and 2 overnight stays. I'm in good health, and can do the driving (and be the adult to be with the patient for the 24 hours the HSE recommends after the op).

The questions;
What's the procedure? Which comes first - tell the GP we want to do it privately and go on from there, or do our own research on individual hospitals (and their distances!) and/or specialists? Or both? (Our health centre is hard pressed to give appointments with less than 2 weeks' notice).

I've searched (mainly at the HSE and Citizens Information) on whether having a medical card reduces any of the charges (and if so, which ones and by how much), but am as confused as when I started. Does anyone know a plain English guide to this (preferably starting with the big picture and linking down to the detail)?

wifey28

Fogmatic wrote: »

Background, if relevant;
Spouse and I (both over 70) have medical cards. Spouse has been diagnosed with a inguinal hernia and put on the waiting list for an operation. As waiting time via medical card is supposed to be 18 months (in theory) and that's hard for Spouse to cope with, we're looking into going private for this operation. As the tech user in our house, I've found some very rough ideas of the cost. We're on state pensions, with savings diminished to well below the medical card threshold, but I'm sure it would be worth the investment for quality of life (increasingly precious at our age!).

We've studied the HSE's health A-Z on this particular op, and it seems likely to need between zero and 2 overnight stays. I'm in good health, and can do the driving (and be the adult to be with the patient for the 24 hours the HSE recommends after the op).

The questions;
What's the procedure? Which comes first - tell the GP we want to do it privately and go on from there, or do our own research on individual hospitals (and their distances!) and/or specialists? Or both? (Our health centre is hard pressed to give appointments with less than 2 weeks' notice).

I've searched (mainly at the HSE and Citizens Information) on whether having a medical card reduces any of the charges (and if so, which ones and by how much), but am as confused as when I started. Does anyone know a plain English guide to this (preferably starting with the big picture and linking down to the detail)?

The first port of call should be your gp for a private referral. Also as far as Im aware when you make the decision to go private then you are liable for all costs involved, the medical card wont cover any costs of opting for private health care im afraid

Fogmatic

Thanks wifey!

Kiwi John

You should check out the cross border thing. If you are on a waiting list you can get treatment in other EU states as a private patient and the use will pay you back what it would have cost in Ireland. They have a list of what they pay for each procedure. You have to wait to get paid back and have to be careful paperwork is correct. There were clin

Kiwi John

Sorry to continue was saying were clinics in NO that did it but do not know what has happened after Britix.

Fogmatic

Thanks, Kiwi. i had wondered about other countries (Poland etc), but hadn't realised there was that arrangement between EU ones.

august12

Fogmatic wrote: »

Background, if relevant;
Spouse and I (both over 70) have medical cards. Spouse has been diagnosed with a inguinal hernia and put on the waiting list for an operation. As waiting time via medical card is supposed to be 18 months (in theory) and that's hard for Spouse to cope with, we're looking into going private for this operation. As the tech user in our house, I've found some very rough ideas of the cost. We're on state pensions, with savings diminished to well below the medical card threshold, but I'm sure it would be worth the investment for quality of life (increasingly precious at our age!).

We've studied the HSE's health A-Z on this particular op, and it seems likely to need between zero and 2 overnight stays. I'm in good health, and can do the driving (and be the adult to be with the patient for the 24 hours the HSE recommends after the op).

The questions;
What's the procedure? Which comes first - tell the GP we want to do it privately and go on from there, or do our own research on individual hospitals (and their distances!) and/or specialists? Or both? (Our health centre is hard pressed to give appointments with less than 2 weeks' notice).

I've searched (mainly at the HSE and Citizens Information) on whether having a medical card reduces any of the charges (and if so, which ones and by how much), but am as confused as when I started. Does anyone know a plain English guide to this (preferably starting with the big picture and linking down to the detail)?

I take it you don't have private health insurance?? As other poster said, if you go private, then you are liable for all fees, sometimes complications can arise, you have to be financially prepared for this as well. I don't mean to scare you, but it's important to have a nest egg just for peace of mind,

lozenges

Be aware that all elective surgery is likely to be cancelled over the coming weeks, even in private institutions.

Also as someone else pointed out if your spouse ends up with a complication or needing to stay in hospital longer than anticipated you will be liable for the cost.

Just things to bear in mind.

splinter65

Fogmatic wrote: »

Thanks, Kiwi. i had wondered about other countries (Poland etc), but hadn't realised there was that arrangement between EU ones.

If you opt to go privately then your medical card is completely out of the picture.
You will pay every cent of the fees yourselves including xrays prescriptions aftercare etc and
there are no refunds from medical card.
You ask your GP for a recommendation for a private doctor is the best thing to do.
Just the same as you’d ask a plumber painter etc for a quote you ask the doctors secretary for a guideline to consultation fees etc. so you’ll have an idea what your final outlay may be.

Kiwi John

Just ring the HSE and ask the the Cross Border Directive

Fogmatic

Many thanks to all. I'm more able to see the wood for the trees now. And to choose the right search terms. For instance they helped find a discussion about public v. private healthcare which I found educational (in Current Affairs, which I wouldn't have thought of looking for under Social and Fun!).
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058038065

Sorry I forgot to say we don't have health insurance. (Alll your tips are for the common good, though).

We'd like to consider all the options, and we had planned to ring tomorrow to make an appointment to ask our GP about it. It currently takes about 2 weeks to see her, and I'd been wondering if it would save time while we're waiting to research more specifically into costs of treatment at other hospitals and in NI/other countries.

Now though, I know we start by asking the receptionist what info they might have on it. We were going to ask her anyway if they have any info on self-help with hernias that would add anything to the Health A-Z advice, as our GP was obviously very hard-pressed. (And Spouse, who's asthmatic, couldn't wait to finally get out into fresh air, like the other eco builds we know with underfloor heating).

So we'll do that (and I can get back to trying to update from our eircom.net addresses before the deadline!).

Thanks Kiwi John - will do. (Though perhaps we'll ask doc's receptionist as well, in case the medical history makes a difference).

august12

Fogmatic wrote: »

Many thanks to all. I'm more able to see the wood for the trees now. And to choose the right search terms. For instance they helped find a discussion about public v. private healthcare which I found educational (in Current Affairs, which I wouldn't have thought of looking for under Social and Fun!).
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058038065

Sorry I forgot to say we don't have health insurance. (Alll your tips are for the common good, though).

We'd like to consider all the options, and we had planned to ring tomorrow to make an appointment to ask our GP about it. It currently takes about 2 weeks to see her, and I'd been wondering if it would save time while we're waiting to research more specifically into costs of treatment at other hospitals and in NI/other countries.

Now though, I know we start by asking the receptionist what info they might have on it. We were going to ask her anyway if they have any info on self-help with hernias that would add anything to the Health A-Z advice, as our GP was obviously very hard-pressed. (And Spouse, who's asthmatic, couldn't wait to finally get out into fresh air, like the other eco builds we know with underfloor heating).

So we'll do that (and I can get back to trying to update from our eircom.net addresses before the deadline!).

Thanks Kiwi John - will do. (Though perhaps we'll ask doc's receptionist as well, in case the medical history makes a difference).

Best of luck with whatever route you take, and I feel your pain re eircom.net although I also have a gmail account so switched over some important accounts to that. I'm sure I've forgotten some.

Fogmatic

Thanks, august12! We're on the right path now, anyway.

I also have a gmail account (and created one recently for Spouse).

I'd already been gradually migrating friends & family to my gmail address before the eircom thing broke (sort of saw it coming). But as well as the usual officialdom and online shopping sites, we have a lot of interests, with their websites in files all over the place, and my list'll be at least 5 pages long, once edited after all this!

Fogmatic

I rang our health centre, got through 2nd time (to my surprise), and explained we wanted to look into options for an earlier op somewhere. Reptionist asked what the op was for, then asked if it was about going North for it. I'd read about open vs. keyhlole surgery for th