Medical checkup

M

Markjbloggs

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Any advice on where to get a general medical checkup for a mid-40's male, preferably covered by VHI?
 
ClubMan said:
Your GP?
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I'm in the fortunate position of never having been sick in my recent life, and have never needed a GP here in Ireland!!!

I'd like to cut out the middleman, so to speak.

M
 
You'd need to check what cover your medical health insurance provides in this context. The VHI may be able to recommend a clinic or even refer you (not sure about this) if you're not going through your GP. Otherwise I guess the only option would be a private medical centre.
 
I think that VHI do not cover the anual check up type thing and BUPA cover 50%.
In Cork we go to The Health Screening section in Bons once a year. No need for a GP but it is not cheap.
 
Are you sure that you need a medical checkup in the first place assuming this is not for a job or life assurance etc.? If you have no history of illness and are generally fit and well then why bother?
 
At the risk of de-railing my own thread, why do we pay VHI? It covers precious little. Is it just another stealth tax?

Irish people go to Hungary to get their teeth done - are their any equivalent situations for a checkup?
 
There are several threads discussing this issue and the pros and cons of taking or not taking out private health insurance. You would be better off checking and contributing to those intead of dragging your own thread off topic. It's not a tax - stealth or otherwise - as people are not obliged to buy such cover.
 
Markjbloggs said:
At the risk of de-railing my own thread, why do we pay VHI? It covers precious little. Is it just another stealth tax?
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In case you get hit by a buss.
 
ClubMan said:
Are you sure that you need a medical checkup in the first place assuming this is not for a job or life assurance etc.? If you have no history of illness and are generally fit and well then why bother?
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You're joking, aren't you?
 
Sadly he is not. After living abroad with genuine national and private health plans one recoils at the Irish attitude towards preventive medicine. I had to badger my GP for a referral for a health screen. Wound up at Irish Health Care which it must be said was dear and not terribly comprehensive. Best I can figure is that an Irishman will go to the GP when he falls down in the street and was not on the batter.
 
Markjbloggs said:
You're joking, aren't you?
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I was joking about the "buss" thing but not this. If one is fit and healthy with no history of medical problems (and ideally with no family history of certain diseases with hereditary links) then why bother having a health check/medical? The statistical risks of having serious or any health issues are most likely miniscule in that sort of situation. Such a view is neither humourous (as you claim) nor sad (as Maxi claims) but pragmatic and logical in my opinion.
 
I would try my gp first and then if still not satisfied (nothing to do with buss) I would ask for a consultant physician referal. There should test everything and hopefully give you a clean bill of health.
 
Did you see this earlier?
Markjbloggs said:
ClubMan said:
Your GP?
Click to expand...
I'm in the fortunate position of never having been sick in my recent life, and have never needed a GP here in Ireland!!!

I'd like to cut out the middleman, so to speak.

M
Click to expand...
 
FTLOGM, get the screen at a specialist. I have used three GPs over the years and all are about worthless at preventive medicine. Proactive or reactive. Max chooses the former every time.
 
Max Hopper said:
FTLOGM, get the screen at a specialist. I have used three GPs over the years and all are about worthless at preventive medicine.
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How do you know if you are not suffering from anything that they should have diagnosed?
 
As was previously noted -
...Irish Health Care which it must be said was dear and not terribly comprehensive.
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Please prove me wrong here about Irish medical care, but a hernial surgery in Germany requires a 24 hour recovery (and a minute scar) while in Ireland the ensuing convalescence is six weeks (accompanied by a gash that would terrify Vinnie Jones). Soft tissue injuries are glossed over (RMIs) and GPs are reliant on laboratories for diagnostic advice for anything beyond an elevated WBC. I once had an Irish quack advise swimming for a lower back sprain. But he could not identify a location to engage in the activity. Alternatively a course of physical therapy was ordered. But the Health Service could not provide the initial treatment for two months.

Better to fly to Amsterdam and pay the private fee at a poli-klinik (which will cost about half the charge here and include analysis for pre-cancer markers).
 
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