# Private consultant fees?



## summersday (19 Nov 2015)

I'll be attending a medical consultant shortly at a cost of 180 euro, just wondering if he orders bloods will these be included in this fee?


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## noproblem (19 Nov 2015)

I'm presuming your GP will have done all that and the consultant will have those results. Almost always the 1st consultation is for his fee/cash/money. He will do a bit of an examination and tell you he's going to take you into hospital under his care, from there further tests will be carried out if he needs to make further diagnosis. Private health insurance would be important at this stage. (in my opinion)


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## Purple (20 Nov 2015)

summersday said:


> I'll be attending a medical consultant shortly at a cost of 180 euro, just wondering if he orders bloods will these be included in this fee?


Yes blood tests will cost more. Sitting down when you talk to them could cost extra. 
The last time I saw a consultant it cost €180. I was with him for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. 90 cent a second.


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## Steven Barrett (20 Nov 2015)

Purple said:


> Yes blood tests will cost more. Sitting down when you talk to them could cost extra.
> The last time I saw a consultant it cost €180. I was with him for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. 90 cent a second.



Old Mick had worked in the factory for nearly 40 years, making sure the machines kept running. One day, the manager called him in and told them they were letting him go. 

A week later, Mick got a call from his old boss. A machine had broken down and production had stopped. Would he mind coming in and helping them out. Mick turned up, turned a screw and everything was running fine again. He gave them his invoice for €10,000. "€10,000!!!" his boss exclaimed. "I'll give you an itemised breakdown if you want" replied Mick

€50 - call out charge
€9,950 - knowing which screw to turn


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## Purple (20 Nov 2015)

SBarrett said:


> Old Mick had worked in the factory for nearly 40 years, making sure the machines kept running. One day, the manager called him in and told them they were letting him go.
> 
> A week later, Mick got a call from his old boss. A machine had broken down and production had stopped. Would he mind coming in and helping them out. Mick turned up, turned a screw and everything was running fine again. He gave them his invoice for €10,000. "€10,000!!!" his boss exclaimed. "I'll give you an itemised breakdown if you want" replied Mick
> 
> ...


Sure, the knowledge of a lifetime or the labour of an hour and all that.

To apply your story to consultants Mick would have to still be working there but running his own business on the side from his employers facilities and frequently leaving the machine in question broken down while he’s off doing his own work.

Mick would also have to spend time on the radio and TV complaining about lack of resources within the company and how badly they treat their customers as a result while at the same time earning a multiple of what his colleagues earn.


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## Slim (22 Nov 2015)

summersday said:


> I'll be attending a medical consultant shortly at a cost of 180 euro, just wondering if he orders bloods will these be included in this fee?


If you have private health insurance, the tests will be covered though his fee may not be, depending your policy.

If you do not have private health insurance and you attend the consultant privately, the hospital will charge you for the tests.


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## snowyb (22 Nov 2015)

If you are admitted to hospital as an inpatient for blood tests etc, everything would be covered by the private health insurer. 
But if the blood tests are done on an outpatient basis, they are treated as part of your annual outpatient claim, after renewal date.
They would not be included in the consultants fee of 180. 
If you are still on Teachers Plan as per previous posts,  refund for consultant visits is 60 euro per visit, subject to the outpatient excess 125pa.
This includes consultant surgeon, consultant pathologist(bloods), consultant radiologist(scans etc).

Snowyb


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## Monbretia (22 Nov 2015)

Sorry OP for butting in here but snowyb might know the answer to my question  

Why is an echocardiogram not covered by the insurance companies?  My father has heart issues and cardiologist has called him back for an annual check and the letter clearly says the test is not covered by most of the companies, can any of it be claimed back under any section of a policy?


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## snowyb (22 Nov 2015)

Monbretia, 

I've no experience of the above test,  so I don't know the answer.

It will take a couple of phone calls to;
1. Laya Healthcare to find out if its covered or not and if so what are the cover details in relation to your father's plan.  

2. Hospital where your father usually attends in relation to this health issue, to see what light, if any, they can throw on it.

Just as an aside,  I just checked out Mater Private website, as a starting point out of curiosity.
It may be worth giving them a ring to check out what they cover in relation to his plan.  The following link shows a price list of procedures,
including echocardiogram  -  highlighted by *  which it goes onto indicate they may be covered as part of their waiver system.
They have a phoneline for enquiries about insurance cover for these procedures 01 8858856.

https://www.materprivate.ie/dublin/centre-services/heart-vascular-centre/insurance-and-pricing/ 

Other AAM posters may have experience of claiming for an echocardiogram worth sharing.

Regards, Snowyb


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## Monbretia (22 Nov 2015)

Thanks for reply.  It would nearly cost more to get to the Mater than they are charging 

The letter he got with the appointment from the hospital he usually attends clearly points out that the test is not covered by 3 of the main insurers including Laya.   Will give Laya a ring tomorrow to see why this test is excluded but they are obviously not the only ones excluding it so there must be some reason.   My father maintains a few of the doctors in there own the machine and are just bringing him in for the craic and the fee!


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## Sue Ellen (23 Nov 2015)

summersday said:


> I'll be attending a medical consultant shortly at a cost of 180 euro, just wondering if he orders bloods will these be included in this fee?



As blood tests in the private hospitals can be quite expensive it may be a lot cheaper to get your GP to do them.  Both Mater and Blackrock fell into this category for us in the past so we got the GP to do them.  If the consultant raises the matter of blood tests don't be embarrassed to discuss this aspect with them.


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