# health insurance and A&E?



## sisterjoan (12 Nov 2014)

1. When your GP sends you to A& E are you covered in there by your health insurance?  I know you don't have to pay a fee if you have the referral letter but does VHI cover everything else that happens in there? tests etc.

2. Can you go into A& E and tick you're a public patient and if admitted later on change to VHI?

Thanks


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## Protocol (12 Nov 2014)

If you go into hosp as a public patient, taxes cover your costs, apart from a fee of 75 per night if you stay overnight.

We have a tax-financed hosp system in Ireland.

Other than the 100 AE fee, and the 75 pn fee, hosp care is free, paid for by your taxes.


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## Protocol (12 Nov 2014)

Changing your status from public to private and vice-versa may be tricky, I'm not sure about that.


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## Olympian (12 Nov 2014)

I recently had to visit A&E and one of the questions was "Do you have private insurance?"

Seems that there is a diktat from HSE to charge those with private insurance irrespective of whether public or private.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...patients-for-use-of-public-beds-30712604.html


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## sisterjoan (13 Nov 2014)

I am finding it difficult to keep paying health insurance and if it goes up again I'm going to drop it I think. I find lately it doesn't cover everything and along with paying for it you're also landed with other charges. I've been ill recently and while in hospital it seems to be great - it's if you're sent for something that you're worrying whether it's covered or not. I recently was sent for an MRI and a scan and had to pay for the scan. Just because I pay health insurance doesn't mean I'm rich. Anyway I thought I'd have togo to A& E but thank goodness I don't -  all this worry isn't good!


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