Health Insurance

DUBLINIRL

I have health insurance and am wondering would that mean I am likely to be admitted sooner for treatment if I went to Beaumont Hospital A&E or is it first come first served with some allowance for severity of injury? I'm reading some people are waiting 24 hours for treatment.

Charles Babbage

No, health insurance is feck all use in A&E.

If you break your arm or something like that then you could go to a private injury clinic and get repaired, as long as you get your injury during working hours, which in fairness does cover most sports injuries and the like.

the_amazing_raisin

No use for A&E, you'll be in the triage queue same as everyone else

What it might given you access to is a private clinic. For example VHI have swiftcare clinics that can deal with non life threatening stuff. They're great for when young kids are sick and need a doctor, and they can also deal with sprains and fractures

Laya also have a couple of clinics and Irish Life have a deal with some private clinics around the place

Still stihl waters 3

Not much use after you get admitted either, you'll be seen on severity of case and you won't get private bed either

SuperBowserWorld

Nope.

Also, private clinics are fine so long as your emergency is convenient for the private clinic.

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120081953#Comment_120081953

it wont stop them from asking you for your private health insurance details though, unless you getting private room I wouldnt be signing no forms for them.

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120081972#Comment_120081972

A broken bone can wait until daylight hours. better than waiting up to 90 hours in an overcrowed public A&E.

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120081989#Comment_120081989

True

Still stihl waters 3

Even without insurance if you can afford to just go to a private A&E if its not too serious you're probably better off, I've needed 2 mri in the last few years and went to the Galway clinic both times, worth the money to not sit around for hours and end up waiting on a public waiting list for months

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120081989#Comment_120081989

I mean, it depends. If the bone is sticking out then you're probably better off going to the hospital

There's a lot of the time people end up in A&E when they don't need to be there. I don't think it's generally their fault, for example when you've a young kid who gets a fever over 40C then the HSE advice is to seek immediate medical attention

If that's after hours and you can't get the D doc then you're generally told to go to A&E

99% of the time, the kids fine and just needs a prescription dose of nurofen, but they won't be discharged from hospital until the doctor sees they're stabilised and they're taking up a bed

And then there's the 1% of times it's something more serious and they need urgent care

IMO the more people can seek care in clinics outside of hospitals, then the better off the health system is overall

The private clinics are good for this, when we had VHI we got great mileage out of the swiftcare clinics, better than the GP in many cases. It cost money, but absolutely worth it

Since we've moved insurer we tend to use the GP more because the paid clinics are too far away

Also used the CHI clinic a couple of times. It's a great facility but unfortunately it's very overcrowded a lot of the time

Gael23

No use for A&E but if you needed surgery for your broken arm you could be referred to an orthopaedic doctor in a private hospital for it

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120081984#Comment_120081984

So this is something I've heard anecdotally.

How does this play out in reality when you present yourself at the intake desk?

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088522#Comment_120088522

For me I've always given our insurance company and member number.

Apparently there's a form you may be asked to sign which basically says you won't be funded by the HSE and the entire cost will fall on your insurance

This doesn't seem to cost you anything but it does cost the insurance company a lot, which is why they're moaning about it

I've never actually been presented with the form, nor have I signed it. I've always gone into A&E as a public patient and only paid the public rate charges, which I then claimed back separately from my insurance

I've also checked my insurance claims and there's no big charges coming from hospitals, so I kind of feel like the whole thing was overblown a bit

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120081984#Comment_120081984

So why do you feel so strongly about helping to increase the insurance company’s profits or do you get some reward/discount for doing so.

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088773#Comment_120088773

It's not about increasing the insurance company profits.You already pay for your hospital treatment through your prsi. If the insurance company costs are lower in theory the premiums should be lower

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088812#Comment_120088812

Funny how it doesn't really translate though, it is a bit of on Oirish thing though, it's just a matter of who pays the bill which in the end (either way) is yourself (the taxpayer and subscriber). Funny system where insurance is pretty much paying for most of what is already available for free and so much of what you can get privately isn't covered by most policies.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088812#Comment_120088812

You are paying for both right. And by not holding the insurance company responsible for its share you are going to increase your taxes or accept lower public services and the more people do this the more they will ultimately pay in taxes. The only one that gains by your approach is the insurance company. They are not reducing their premiums or giving you anything for that nice present you are giving them. It is one of the best legal scams I've heard of in years.

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088928#Comment_120088928

The advantage of insurance is you get immediate treatment . Not better. You hear of people waiting long periods for him and knee rep!acements Private insurance policies are being renewed this year without an increase.

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088928#Comment_120088928

Im getting an orthopedic procedure carried

out in a private hospital this month. I saw the doctor to get the consultants appointment 3 weeks before christmas. I got my appointment to see the orthopedic consultant within a week and he basically asked me what date would I be available for surgery.

My doctor told me if i went under the public system, i would be waiting a minimum of two years.

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088522#Comment_120088522

All the time. They will ask you.if you have insurance then try to get you to sign a form so they can bill private healthcare company.

Breezy_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091783#Comment_120091783

Ortho is 6 years waiting. And they keep sending you out a questionnaire which has to be sent back in 10 days or something to see if you still want treatment or have you left ireland or (hopefully) died. And if you make the wait to year 4/5 you'll get the NTPF letter for treatment which might be here or more commonly abroad as it's massivly cheaper than Rip off Ireland. If not abroad then they'll see you in year 6.

Gael23

Yes but if you are treated as a private patient you will be seen by the consultant and not a registrar

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091783#Comment_120091783

That's a great turnaround, unfortunately over the past couple of years we've needed to seek a private consultation twice, one for myself and another for my son, neither of which is covered apparently, though I will say the turnaround for a private consultation is excellent, was seen within the week and the follow up was exemplary too, pity the insurance is rubbish.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091174#Comment_120091174

If you present at an A&E you will get immediate treatment on public health too, it's the so-called 'elective' treatments that incur the wait, though how someone suffering arthritis and needing a new hip could be considered 'elective' is beyond me.

Also, it should be noted that if you have a life threatening condition, treatment will be pretty much immediate on public as well.

the_amazing_raisin

I will say the insurance is great for day to day care as well, a lot of them will cover a fairly significant percentage of GP or consultant fees

I think in general they're aiming to cover general healthcare, and things like specialist treatments or hospital care when you're abroad. The idea seems to be that if you have a life threatening emergency you still go to the hospital and get covered by the HSE

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120093161#Comment_120093161

Would you.not consider changing your policy, you would nearly want to.be paying €1400 a year for decent cover including day to day expenses.

In 2017 I was admitted to St Vincent’s in need of emergency surgery for bowel obstruction, and as I was in the middle of the most unpleasant vomiting imaginable a person with a clipboard came to ask me my health insurance details. I didn’t give them. I had a bit of a complicated recovery, and after surgery the clipboard person arrived again telling me I was being transferred to the private hospital, which was a complete lie. Regretfully I signed.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120089618#Comment_120089618

I always laugh too when I hear people with private health insurance doing their best to avoid their insurers from picking up at least part of the bill. They pay steep enough premiums.

My principal gripe with health insurance is that it's marketed like a pension as in 'invest now in your 20s/ 30s/ 40s etc and you'll benefit in your 70s and 80s etc'. But it's sold like car or house insurance, once your annual premium lapses that's it - your investment is gone poof. If you don't keep renewing with the increases they can screw out of the customer, then it's bye bye. Dishonest way of selling a product.

Imagine selling a pension like that - sorry you missed your payment, so xyz€ in your account is now ours!

Shauna677

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120092289#Comment_120092289

Im truely shocked to read this.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058278709/health-insurance

A&E is always on a need first. So if you're waiting with something minor & something major comes in, it doesn't matter what insurance you do or don't have, that will take precedence. It's all about the severity which is why you're triaged - it's an assessment of where you'll be in the queue.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088522#Comment_120088522

So my experience is that they will ask you at the desk in A&E for insurance details. While it makes no difference in A&E, it is more that if you're admitted, it'll mean that your costs are billed back to your insurer.

thebiglad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120093630#Comment_120093630

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