Hi all,
I have been living in Ireland for more than one year and I took health insurance for me and my wife because I was advised to do so. In my country the public health system is far from being perfect but anyway you can stay perfectly without private health insurance. When I came here I realised that all my colleagues had it and it seemed to be something really necessary to have.
However, I would like to know what difference it really makes because I've heard dreadful stories about people going to A&E and having to wait for many hours although they had private health insurance. First of all, I've heard that private hospitals don't have A&E sections: is that true (in my country they do, that's why I'm asking)? Secondly, does it make any difference when you go to A&E if you have private health insurance?
If you have to receive in-patient treatment, are there generally speaking good chances to get a private room? I'm entitled to that type of accomodation but if realistically what I'm going to get is a semi-private room maybe I should move to a cheaper health product. Another question that I have is: what's the alternative if you don't have private health insurance? I mean, what do you get (accomodation) if you don't pay private health insurance (I'm paying every month a good amount of PRSI)?
I ask all those questions because I'm paying a quite high premium for a theoretically very good health product but I want to know if it is really worthwhile to pay that amount of money or maybe I would get the same result with a cheaper alternative...
Thank you in advance (I know there are a few questions).
I have been living in Ireland for more than one year and I took health insurance for me and my wife because I was advised to do so. In my country the public health system is far from being perfect but anyway you can stay perfectly without private health insurance. When I came here I realised that all my colleagues had it and it seemed to be something really necessary to have.
However, I would like to know what difference it really makes because I've heard dreadful stories about people going to A&E and having to wait for many hours although they had private health insurance. First of all, I've heard that private hospitals don't have A&E sections: is that true (in my country they do, that's why I'm asking)? Secondly, does it make any difference when you go to A&E if you have private health insurance?
If you have to receive in-patient treatment, are there generally speaking good chances to get a private room? I'm entitled to that type of accomodation but if realistically what I'm going to get is a semi-private room maybe I should move to a cheaper health product. Another question that I have is: what's the alternative if you don't have private health insurance? I mean, what do you get (accomodation) if you don't pay private health insurance (I'm paying every month a good amount of PRSI)?
I ask all those questions because I'm paying a quite high premium for a theoretically very good health product but I want to know if it is really worthwhile to pay that amount of money or maybe I would get the same result with a cheaper alternative...
Thank you in advance (I know there are a few questions).