confuseddotc
Registered User
- Messages
- 3
Looking for advice please...
Am from the UK originally, and can't get my head around the system here...
Have had employer funded cover in the past, but now have to fund it myself, for simplicity this year, I kept with the same policy, but the renewal is due 1 Jan, and I'm looking at options and getting confused...
Items like this excerpt, from Governments White Paper on UHI add to the confusion...
"Ireland has both a national public health system and a voluntary private health insurance
system. In the case of the public health system, services are largely funded by general
taxation and are delivered by a single organisational entity, the Health Service Executive
(HSE). By contrast, private health insurance is provided by several, competing private
companies and is financed by individual insurance premiums.
While the national public health system provides universal coverage for hospital care, almost
45% of the population nonetheless purchase private health insurance, predominately for the
purpose of ensuring faster access to hospital care. While the State is making good progress in
reducing waiting times for public hospital services, these access times remain unacceptably
long and comparable waiting times for private treatment, while not measured nationally, are
accepted as being considerably shorter."
So, there's a public health system, but if you want to jump the queue and can afford it, you buy private cover....
So, a few simple questions... (I think)
If I go to A&E with an emergency, they ask me for medical card or insurance. If I have neither, do they refuse to treat me?
If something more serious/long-term is wrong, what then? Pick a number and wait? Or pay privately for treatment directly at that point?
It just don't seem to make sense to me..
Am from the UK originally, and can't get my head around the system here...
Have had employer funded cover in the past, but now have to fund it myself, for simplicity this year, I kept with the same policy, but the renewal is due 1 Jan, and I'm looking at options and getting confused...
Items like this excerpt, from Governments White Paper on UHI add to the confusion...
"Ireland has both a national public health system and a voluntary private health insurance
system. In the case of the public health system, services are largely funded by general
taxation and are delivered by a single organisational entity, the Health Service Executive
(HSE). By contrast, private health insurance is provided by several, competing private
companies and is financed by individual insurance premiums.
While the national public health system provides universal coverage for hospital care, almost
45% of the population nonetheless purchase private health insurance, predominately for the
purpose of ensuring faster access to hospital care. While the State is making good progress in
reducing waiting times for public hospital services, these access times remain unacceptably
long and comparable waiting times for private treatment, while not measured nationally, are
accepted as being considerably shorter."
So, there's a public health system, but if you want to jump the queue and can afford it, you buy private cover....
So, a few simple questions... (I think)
If I go to A&E with an emergency, they ask me for medical card or insurance. If I have neither, do they refuse to treat me?
If something more serious/long-term is wrong, what then? Pick a number and wait? Or pay privately for treatment directly at that point?
It just don't seem to make sense to me..