Health Insurance Private Health Insurance & Costly Anti-Cancer Drugs

Hi. Just listening to the debate on the public funding of the most effective and very expensive cancer fighting drugs and I wondered if any private health insurance plans in Ireland would finance such treatments/drugs (a) if they are approved for public use and (b) if they were not approved for public use?

Slim,

I remember a case in recent years, also highlighted on Liveline at the time regarding a new drug called 'Ipilimubab'.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle...lled-after-aviva-refuses-to-pay-30276207.html

Regarding health insurance plans, I queried same with Laya and their position is, 'you will be covered for anything that is medically necessary,
your entitlement to the same treatments would not be restricted in any way if you were on a cheaper plan. The only difference being the choice of
hospitals you would be able to attend according to the cover on your plan.
So if Laya approve a certain new drug, its available on all plans, no restrictions apply, once its medically necessary.

I just enquired with Laya, as I'm currently insured with them.
It's a very interesting debate which only comes to light when a row erupts over funding or a lack of decision making.
The private health insurance side of things never really comes to light at all, so its good to know the details.

Regards, Snowyb

What's covered in public is surely covered in private also. Or is it?

Thanks for the responses. Does the health insurer only cover drugs approved by the HSE? It's being discussed on Liveline at the moment.

As the HSE/DoH yesterday approved Pembro, does that mean that treatment with that drug will be covered by private health insurance but treatment for Orkambi, the CF drug, will not yet be covered by PHI?

Slim,

According to Laya, treatment with both drugs Pembro and Orkambi will be covered by Laya, once a person is admitted as an inpatient to hospital and its medically necessary.

Snowyb

Brilliant, thanks a mill Snowy.