HSE charges for private patient.

Hi,
I'm asking this question as I've never gone through HSE service myself. It was my young lad.
He was found to have phimosis by a GP, after four visits, and one other doctor after an apendetimy I had asked.
We were told to go private as child was nine and phimosis can affect growth in puberty down below.
Went from GP to consultant, 150 for a 3 min visit in a public hospital.
Surgery booked for two weeks, all done.
Hospital bill then of 329.
6 months later, bill for anesthesia 169.

Is all this normal?
As said, I have only been in once myself for appendix. Son was also in at 6 for appendix, that has been it.
I don't have insurance , but pay ALOT of tax.

thomasdylan

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

Hi,
I'm asking this question as I've never gone through HSE service myself. It was my young lad.
He was found to have phimosis by a GP, after four visits, and one other doctor after an apendetimy I had asked.
We were told to go private as child was nine and phimosis can affect growth in puberty down below.
Went from GP to consultant, 150 for a 3 min visit in a public hospital.
Surgery booked for two weeks, all done.
Hospital bill then of 329.
6 months later, bill for anesthesia 169.

Is all this normal?
As said, I have only been in once myself for appendix. Son was also in at 6 for appendix, that has been it.
I don't have insurance , but pay ALOT of tax.

All normal and probably not a bad price for private surgery. Two consultants involved: surgeon and anaesthetist.

Foweva Awone

Sounds pretty reasonable, if you had health insurance you'd probably be paying nearly that much in excesses anyways.

Wesser

Cheap!

Really?

It seems mad in a country like ours with all the charges we have with this health system.
Im annoyed it took going to 3 separate doctors to get sorted also.

thomasdylan

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

Really?

It seems mad in a country like ours with all the charges we have with this health system.
Im annoyed it took going to 3 separate doctors to get sorted also.

But you made the decision to go private. It would have been free in the public system.

What should a private surgery involving two consultants cost?

PhoneMain

thomasdylan wrote: »

But you made the decision to go private. It would have been free in the public system.

What should a private surgery involving two consultants cost?

You'd pay a hell of a lot more in the US!

thomasdylan

thomasdylan wrote: »

But you made the decision to go private. It would have been free in the public system.

What should a private surgery involving two consultants cost?

Hi,

I did yes, as it was a problem that I brought to doctors for 2 years, never dealt with until it became a big issue.
Going public I was told the wait was 2 + years, going private it was 3 weeks.

PhoneMain

PhoneMain wrote: »

You'd pay a hell of a lot more in the US!

We don't live in the US.
We live in Ireland, we pay more taxes here through PAYE and USC then they do in the US
It would be free in Norway, if that makes your case any different?
Or would have been 60 American dollars in Mexico.

thomasdylan

thomasdylan wrote: »

But you made the decision to go private. It would have been free in the public system.

What should a private surgery involving two consultants cost?

Also,what I think is odder. The work was done in a public hospital. Private orderlies, etc.
HSE admin staff.

Its more a comment on how the system is.

PhoneMain

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

Really?

It seems mad in a country like ours with all the charges we have with this health system.
Im annoyed it took going to 3 separate doctors to get sorted also.

GPs dont do these procedures, surgeons do it but under general anaesthetics so you need anaesthetists to administer this and monitor patients while they're asleep. Not unreasonable to need to see 3 doctors to get this sorted. Cant see whats the issue.

AndrewJRenko

They're not HSE charges. You didn't pay the HSE.. You paid the doctors for the private services provided.

AndrewJRenko

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

They're not HSE charges. You didn't pay the HSE.. You paid the doctors for the private services provided.

I paid the HSE also.

PhoneMain

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

We don't live in the US.
We live in Ireland, we pay more taxes here through PAYE and USC then they do in the US
It would be free in Norway, if that makes your case any different?
Or would have been 60 American dollars in Mexico.

They pay a lot more in Norway in taxes as well.
You could live in England where it is free but can be waiting weeks to see a GP as well.

PhoneMain

PhoneMain wrote: »

They pay a lot more in Norway in taxes as well.
You could live in England where it is free but can be waiting weeks to see a GP as well.

I know this, I lived in the UK and Norway before
Its just not a like for like service is what I mean, each country has different ways it works, but Ireland is odd in that it has a 2 or 3 tier system.

When I did have VHI a few years back,the quickest way still to be seen was cash private patient.

All I am saying is, it is a mad system to have it so 2 tiered but many of the " private" services are run though public buildings, using public paid staff.
Like your Point about the US, a private hospital would have all private staffing.

AndrewJRenko

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

I paid the HSE also.

For what? What was on the bill?

Kristopherus

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

For what? What was on the bill?

Bed and food.

Kristopherus

Kristopherus wrote: »

Bed and food.

bed for the day. no food as in and out in 7 hours

AndrewJRenko

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

bed for the day. no food as in and out in 7 hours

https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/acute-hospitals-division/patient-care/hospital-charges/

thegetawaycar

Skyrimaddict wrote: »

Hi,

I did yes, as it was a problem that I brought to doctors for 2 years, never dealt with until it became a big issue.
Going public I was told the wait was 2 + years, going private it was 3 weeks.

There's your answer, in other countries where it is free and 100% public you'd have been put in the queue and would just have to wait. In Ireland we allow/encourage queue skipping through private healthcare.

So yes, in Norway/UK etc... you'd have been seen for free but you'd have joined the queue and waited as long as it took. It's a VERY, Very imperfect system but it is the norm here.

Rodin

Absolute bargain that.