Do you have health insurance?

Victor · 18-02-2016 08:12PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

It gives me the peace of mind that I'll never be bankrupted if I get sick. Some of us don't have medical cards you know.

This is all well and good until you get a disease that isn't covered by your insurance - there are many.

18-02-2016 08:18PM

Work pays for mine. I pay BIK alright on it. Don't know if I'd have it otherwise, tis expensive!

Vandango · 18-02-2016 08:41PM

Where I live, there's an excellent Public Health system and I don't know anybody with private health cover. But back in Ireland, it's unfortunate that you're almost forced to have it and overpay for it.

Lady is a tramp · 18-02-2016 09:10PM

Random question, is there any reason you can't have a medical card and health insurance?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-02-2016 09:42PM

Vandango wrote: »

Where I live, there's an excellent Public Health system and I don't know anybody with private health cover. But back in Ireland, it's unfortunate that you're almost forced to have it and overpay for it.

What tax/prsi do you pay towards the health service?

byhookorbycrook · 18-02-2016 09:43PM

Brego888 wrote: »

My car and house insurance are compulsory so that's different. Jesus if I could get away without car insurance I'd do it in a heartbeat. Biggest waste of money going. 13 years and no claims.

Stop living in fear. Health insurance companies sell fear.

A bit naive and a touch patronising. I was a healthy as a trout, then I got MS.

BoJack Horseman · 18-02-2016 09:46PM

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

Random question, is there any reason you can't have a medical card and health insurance?

No reason.

My parents have both.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-02-2016 09:48PM

Brego888 wrote: »

My car and house insurance are compulsory so that's different. Jesus if I could get away without car insurance I'd do it in a heartbeat. Biggest waste of money going. 13 years and no claims.

Stop living in fear. Health insurance companies sell fear.

Where is house insurance compulsory?

As for car insurance; I've had it for over 50 years and had my first claim this week. You never know.

Health insurance is just that, insurance. You don't want it, then don't get it. Nobody is forcing you. But, I wouldn't be without it.

BoJack Horseman · 18-02-2016 09:50PM

Dont have health insurance.... but being young I dont need it.

A few years ago I did develop an ailment (pilonidal sinus), a literal pain in the ass.

So, I paid €200 to a consultant in the Beacon.
He put me in for surgery in Naas General hospital 3 weeks later.
I paid him for his surgery time, paid the anesthetist guy for his time & the in patient fee to the hospita(€75).

around €750 all told & I avoided a 5-8 month painful wait on the public list.

So, for non-emergency ailments, paying cash is viable.

ednwireland · 18-02-2016 09:56PM

Don't have medical insurance . Ended up in hospital for 8 days in Aug 2014. In the weeks after I had an endoscopy 2 colonoscopy's a ct scan and a mri scan. Been seen in out patients every 6 months and even had a capsule endoscopy in altnagelvin derry last November appointment a few weeks after the gastroenterologist recommended it.

As far as the hospital charges go calculated what I would have paid in xs charges on private health apart from the top plans and none were less than the day charge for the hospital stay.

I'm guessing I was lucky but I couldn't see the point if health insurance.

byhookorbycrook · 18-02-2016 10:04PM

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

Dont have health insurance.... but being young I dont need it.

I was diagnosed with MS in my early 30s. Even going privately there would have been over a year for a neuro appt 2.5 without. Luckily I heard of a newly returned neuro and got to see her within a month. Neurology is one of the most understaffed specialties in Ireland still.

zl1whqvjs75cdy · 18-02-2016 10:06PM

Work pays for mine. The bik costs about 30 a month for a plan worth about 1200. Probably worth it.

doc11 · 18-02-2016 10:20PM

ednwireland wrote: »

Don't have medical insurance . Ended up in hospital for 8 days in Aug 2014. In the weeks after I had an endoscopy 2 colonoscopy's a ct scan and a mri scan. Been seen in out patients every 6 months and even had a capsule endoscopy in altnagelvin derry last November appointment a few weeks after the gastroenterologist recommended it.

As far as the hospital charges go calculated what I would have paid in xs charges on private health apart from the top plans and none were less than the day charge for the hospital stay.

I'm guessing I was lucky but I couldn't see the point if health insurance.

You skip the queue. Consultants will also be more favorable towards a wide range of diagnostic and treatment options. In public system they just hope your problem goes away with long waiting lists, the fact you had to be hospitalized for 8 days speaks volumes, you wouldn't be getting CTscans, MRI if it wasn't for that, they would have more of a legal responsibility towards you after been admitted to hospital as you are no longer just a name on a list.

Brian201888 · 18-02-2016 10:42PM

Lady is a tramp wrote: »

I literally only got health insurance 2 days ago, after a few weeks break, and am planning on checking into St Pats (again) shortly.

My new plan covers way less than my old plan, but it seems there's some weird loophole that means I'm still covered by the terms of my old (excellent) plan for the next two years, rather than my new (very basic) plan. In most cases, this is to cover the insurers arse - that someone doesn't suddenly upgrade and expect great cover. In my case, it works in my favour - I still have the same good cover for the next two years.

It's no fun suffering from every mental health disorder that exists, but jesus, I'm glad to have the cover to get the in-patient help I need. I'd be waiting a long time on the public system for it.

I hope you see this.

The above is not correct, you have that rule backwards I'm afraid. The rule regarding the two years is to cover the insurance company in a totally different way.

The rule is that if you upgrade your cover and have a preexisting condition that you won't get the benefit of that upgrade in relation to your preexisting condition for two years.

You have a 14 day window to change your plan of advise strongly calling them as soon as possible as the very most coverage you will have going forward is the level of the new policy.

Lady is a tramp · 18-02-2016 11:17PM

Eoghan_2 wrote: »

I hope you see this.

The above is not correct, you have that rule backwards I'm afraid. The rule regarding the two years is to cover the insurance company in a totally different way.

The rule is that if you upgrade your cover and have a preexisting condition that you won't get the benefit of that upgrade in relation to your preexisting condition for two years.

You have a 14 day window to change your plan of advise strongly calling them as soon as possible as the very most coverage you will have going forward is the level of the new policy.

Thanks, sent you a PM, I think I'm covered.

Thanks all the same though!

18-02-2016 11:43PM

Went without for a few years, then got a pain in my kidneys last December and wife extended her policy. Was diagnosed with kidney stones a day or two later, suspect I'm not covered for that. But became a Dad a year ago so figured it was the right time to get back into getting cover anyway. Had a few scares in recent years, particularly when I tore something in my knee that thankfully turned out to be cartilage and thankfully again didn't require surgery. If it had, it would have meant a few grand down the drain.

jimgoose · 19-02-2016 12:01AM

Margaret Harsh Rim wrote: »

Where is house insurance compulsory?...

Usually if there's a mortgage on it the lender will stipulate in the T&Cs that it must be adequately insured.

And I would rather hang by my ankles in a Viet Cong POW camp than live here without health insurance.

Sam Kade · 19-02-2016 12:09AM

jester77 wrote: »

Mandatory here, I've the most basic plan going, costs €500 a month

Crazy money, you want to be getting sick often to justify that.

ToxicPaddy · 19-02-2016 12:14AM

Get it from work and it's very handy to have plus saves a small fortune as mine includes dental and in the last two years has saved me over €2k alone.

I would definitely recommend it simply because the public health service system in Ireland is so badly run and maintained that you could be waiting ages for even the most basic surgery which is a pity as there are some greatly talented doctors and nurses working in it.

Yes it's expensive but the cost savings after one major procedure easily covers the cost of health insurance and if you have a long term illness it's invaluable.

Jayop · 19-02-2016 12:18AM

I'm spending an absolute bomb the last two or three years on medical problems. None for me, but my wife hurt her back two years ago nd has been on a cocktail of drugs while waiting for appointments on the public system. Every GP visit is the guts of €50 and her monthly prescriptions are well over a hundred euro. Add to that the fact she's been on insanely strong painkillers every day for two years in her early thirties it's a pure disaster. Thankfully the HSE referred her to the Hermitage clinic after Christmas and she's been seen twice already by consultants and had her scan done with the HSE picking up the tab. The kids too have had a few problems, the young lad got sick two weeks ago and it;s been two trips to the GP and so far €140 in the pharmacy. My little girl has been getting ear infections every few months and now it's a permanent one hat the GP reckons she's going to need grommits (sp?) put in. That's already cost me a fortune and now I'll have to do the procedure and the consultancy out of my own pocket because I'm not going to leave her two years in such pain.

My advice, if you can afford it get it. I couldn't and now it's going to cost me a hell of a lot more. Even if I get it now they're all pre-existing conditions so I don't think they';ll cover for them.

Ice Maiden · 19-02-2016 12:25AM

I think it should be borne in mind too that health insurance does not just mean hospital cover - you can go with a policy that has more incentives for out-patient/day-to-day medical expenses. E.g. I have never needed the hospital bed thankfully, but I do have routine doctor stuff, so I am on a plan tailored more in favour of out-patient claims.

Toto Wolfcastle · 19-02-2016 12:29AM

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

Yes it's expensive but the cost savings after one major procedure easily covers the cost of health insurance

The last thing we claimed for was a surgical procedure (badly needed and life changing) including a week in hospital in a bloody massive private room and when the statement arrived the whole thing had cost nearly €17,000. There's no way we could have come up with that in one go. My husband's company pays for his health insurance and he pays the BIK. Mine is organised through his job too and it comes out of his pay check every month. I can understand why people think it's a rip off but I've seen first hand how much of a difference private health insurance can make and I'd never get rid of it.

Jayop · 19-02-2016 12:42AM

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

The last thing we claimed for was a surgical procedure (badly needed and life changing) including a week in hospital in a bloody massive private room and when the statement arrived the whole thing had cost nearly €17,000. There's no way we could have come up with that in one go. My husband's company pays for his health insurance and he pays the BIK. Mine is organised through his job too and it comes out of his pay check every month. I can understand why people think it's a rip off but I've seen first hand how much of a difference private health insurance can make and I'd never get rid of it.

It is a rip off, however it's a necessary evil given the shambles that our health system is in.

If the government took every penny that they currently spend on health insurance for all gov employees would that fix the health service?

Jayop · 19-02-2016 12:47AM

Jayop wrote: »

It is a rip off, however it's a necessary evil given the shambles that our health system is in.

If the government took every penny that they currently spend on health insurance for all gov employees would that fix the health service?

following on from that second point....

The gov employs 296,000 people according to Google.

I'd guess the average health policy costs between 2k and 4k from a single person to a family so some very hasty math would leave the figure at an average of 3k.

3,000
296,000 x

888,000,000

Would nearly 9bn a year more give us an effective health system for everyone?

Could those figure I produced be anywhere near correct because they look mental.

Charles Babbage · 19-02-2016 12:48AM

Jayop wrote: »

If the government took every penny that they currently spend on health insurance for all gov employees would that fix the health service?

Which government employees get private health insurance at government expense? Only a handful of Foreign Affairs people posted abroad?

saram · 19-02-2016 12:50AM

Reading the replies here is another kick to the idea of returning to Ireland to live..

Healthcare should be for all..
It is mandatory here in Korea for everybody.
Costs about 40 euros a month per person.
80 in total for a year.
This includes cancer and blood checks once per year. Dental scaling too at like 15 Euro once per year.

50% employer/ 50% employee
Self employed will be 80 euros etc.
Each household has one person paying..
Rates are lower for kid

Doctor visits cost about 5 euros.. maybe less..
Medicines/ Prescriptions are really cheap too thanks to strongly restricted rules regarding pricing.
Scans/ x rays and prescriptions all heavily subsidised.

Doctors clinics are everywhere.. and that is where most people go with milder illnessess.
Larger hospitals cater for serious problems.

Also.. there are loads of different specialist hospitals.. cardiac and what not.
There are not many ( if any) waiting lists.

Procedures- be they serious or minor are done almost right away.
It just seems miles ahead of the system in Ireland in fairness plus I am sure it way more cost effective too.

Jayop · 19-02-2016 12:50AM

Considering the total spend for 2015 was budgeted at 13bn I'd say and extra 8 or 9 would make some impact.

Jayop · 19-02-2016 12:51AM

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Which government employees get private health insurance at government expense? Only a handful of Foreign Affairs people posted abroad?

I could be completely ignorant here but don't all teachers, guards, nurses, TD's ect get cover?

If not then what's the story? Is it subsidized??

Toto Wolfcastle · 19-02-2016 12:54AM

Jayop wrote: »

I could be completely ignorant here but don't all teachers, guards, nurses, TD's ect get cover?

If not then what's the story? Is it subsidized??

When I was teaching I paid for my health insurance myself. It was organised through the ASTI group scheme I think but I definitely paid for it myself.

Jayop · 19-02-2016 12:56AM

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

When I was teaching I paid for my health insurance myself. It was organised through the ASTI group scheme I think but I definitely paid for it myself.

Well colour me dumbfounded. I was under the impression ye all got health cover.

Do you have health insurance?

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