Doctors (GP) Fees - No recession in my surgery

CharlieC said:
In belgium you can walk in off the street to see any kind of specialist. You get most of this reimbursed via your state contributions,
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Yep, the best healthcare system in Europe. It is almost completely privately delivered and funded through health insurance (if you can’t pay for it yourself the government does) with a reimbursement scheme to keep standards up and costs down. Just what we need here rather than 1950’s style collectivist socialism.
CharlieC said:
although they did have the Congo.
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Well if the cost of having a good healthcare system is enslaving a nation the size of Western Europe and killing over a million people then I’d stick with what we have. (Read King Leopold’s Ghost for details)
 

London is not Great Britain as Dublin is not Republic of ireland yet it is still 60 euros no matter where you live in Ireland. In Great Britain, outside of London, living costs are a lot lower.
 
peelaaa said:
I have lived in london, other parts of uk and dublin, money doesn't go as far here have to say. Especially when paying out doctors bills for family.
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we have more disposable income here, but pay more for goods and services. it pretty much balances out, but does require greater responsibility by people. in the uk, labour takes more of our cash up front and gives us more for 'free' thus reducing the levels of personal responsibility. Swings and roundabouts...

It would be far more productive to ensure we shop around to avoid being ripped off than to complain about our taxation system, although I agreed, doing so with doctors is not so easy. seems like a cosy cartel if they all charge the same
 
In Ireland I pay a 4% health levy plus 8% PRSI and get the 2nd worst healthcare in Europe in which I also have to pay my GP over 50€ and if I don’t want to die on a trolley a private health insurance which also has a government levy on it.
In France I pay a 0.75 % health insurance contribution next to a 7.5% social security tax and get one of the world’s best healthcare and after the insurance gives me 70% of my GP fee back, I only pay 6.60 € for it. And if I don’t like the 70% rule than I can pay up to 2.5% of my salary for 100% refund.
In 2006 Ireland used 8.2 % of GDP or US$3,996 per capita on healthcare to deliver a bad service, at the same time in France used 11.2% of GDP on health care, or US$3,926 per capita.
Yes less per capita but better service!
So I don’t need an NHS , I gladly take the French system, if I can’t get the Belgium system.
 
Excellent post!


It exposes the lies propagated by the charlatan in the healthcare industry, be they nurses, doctors or “managers” who claim that under funding is the problem (remember that we have a much younger population than France so we should be spending even less).
 

Yes all well and good, but when you've got professionals working in the health care system who think a guaranteed €200+ K a year to be paid from the public purse is mickey mouse money.......!!!

By the way I think you're idea of haggling with a GP is ridiculous! I had cause to visit the GP last summer. There were mumblings of surgical biopsies needed and so on --> the last thing I was going to do was start haggling with him over €5!
 
bogle said:
Yes all well and good, but when you've got professionals working in the health care system who think a guaranteed €200+ K a year to be paid from the public purse is mickey mouse money.......!!!
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I agree; they are part of the problem; over paid, unwilling to change and way too far up their own posteriors.

bogle said:
By the way I think you're idea of haggling with a GP is ridiculous! I had cause to visit the GP last summer. There were mumblings of surgical biopsies needed and so on --> the last thing I was going to do was start haggling with him over €5!
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Did you ask what the price was before you bought the service? If not and you paid (and returned) then stop crying about forking out for it. If you think you are overcharged then find a cheaper GP (prices in Dublin vary from €40 to €75 per visit.
 
Purple said:
... bought the service? If not and you paid (and returned) then stop crying about forking out for it. If you think you are overcharged then find a cheaper GP (prices in Dublin vary from €40 to €75 per visit.
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Following you're logic then. Someone discovers a lump where they shouldn't have one. You're advice in these hard times is to starting ringing around GPs asking how much they'll charge for a consultation, maybe do a bit of haggling over the price with the receptionist (offer to wait two weeks for the appointment if she'll knock 10% off), and then pick the one where you think you've got the best value, instead of going to the person who has all your records on file for the last umpteen years.

Priceless!
 

How about finding a GP who you are happy with, staying with them and not crying about the fee they charge. If you think you are not getting good value for money then find a different GP that offers better value for money, go and see them and if you are happy with them have your file transferred. There's no need for any hysterical scenarios when lumps are found or your legs turn green etc.
The main thing is to remember that you are the customer, yes; you are buying a service. The GP is not doing you a favour by seeing you, you are doing them a favour by buying medical services from them. You are not obliged to keep buying your primary healthcare from a GP with whom you are not happy, it may come as a surprise to you but you can move GP's and they are obliged to forward your file at no charge (since it is your file).

Now that I have explained the same thing again I hope you understand. By the way the same applies to solicitors, accountants, window cleaners, mechanics, painters, bottle-washers, flower-arrangers, shoe shops, newsagents, super markets etc.
I would suggest that you don't change accountant the day you find our you are about to be audited by Revenue just as you shouldn't change GP's the day you find a lump... but that's just stating the bleedin' obvious, isn't it?
 
From what I hear though, many GPs (and dentists) are "full" and not taking on new patients. Maybe this was when I was in Dublin and does not apply elsewhere..so it's hard to shop around
 
Firefly said:
From what I hear though, many GPs (and dentists) are "full" and not taking on new patients. Maybe this was when I was in Dublin and does not apply elsewhere..so it's hard to shop around
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Many of the ones with GMS lists won't take any more GMS patients but most newer GP's don't have GMS lists as it's a bit of a closed shop.
 
Purple said:
The GP is not doing you a favour by seeing you, you are doing them a favour by buying medical services from them. You are not obliged to keep buying your primary healthcare from a GP with whom you are not happy,
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You do have to buy a service from a gp though prior to being referred further and there appears to be no supply and demand or varying charges between GP's as far as i have experienced. Thats the main issue.

I moved house and rang a lot of GP's for prices/hours/specialties and no matter the response all had roughly the same price - 55e+ per consultation. Some charged for blood draws, didn't give results over the phone (so you got charged on the double), etc
Contrastingly when i bought the house i rang solicitors and got prices varying from 999+vat to 3k+vat for the same service. It seems to me that in some places price fixing could be suspected for GP's
 
pennypitstop said:
It seems to me that in some places price fixing could be suspected for GP's
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I would agree.
Did you find one that you were happy with (service wise)?
The added costs (blood results over the phone or not etc, reduced charge for return visit etc) are what you should look out for.
 
Firefly said:
From what I hear though, many GPs (and dentists) are "full" and not taking on new patients. Maybe this was when I was in Dublin and does not apply elsewhere..so it's hard to shop around
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True in the NE too.

I know of 4 or 5 GPs that aren't taking on new patients - I'm sure there are more.

A couple of poles have told me that they found it very difficult to get a GP who was willing to take them on - they found a couple eventually, but it wasn't easy. They didn't even investigate dentists though as it's much cheaper in Poland and Irish dentists seem to have a poor reputation - with poles at least.
 
There is actually a chain of GP’s these days which give you a loyalty card, which gives you 20% discount on GP Consultants so that the price is only 40€. And it’s a follow up they only charge a smaller fee.

These sit in Medical & Dental Centre’s around Dublin and are providing what works in other countries well, a primary health care centre.

So fact is, it is also possible to do it differently for a smaller fee when there is competition.
 
I was referred to a specialist by my GP in a private clinic. Specialist took a look at the problem, recommended an MRI and then passed me onto another specialist because he couldn't deal with the problem.

€180 for the privilege of a five minute consultation, only for him to pass the buck.

No one begrudges a good doctor their fee, but the medical profession need to get realistic and stop holding us over a barrel.
 
I've had to attend a consultant a couple of times recently. The receptionist barely says 'hello' to you before she asks you for the fee. I find this really annoying. I can understand that invoicing patients may lead to delays and non payment of fees. But surely they could let you pay on the way out, not have their hand held out the minute you walk in the door.
 
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