On principle, I do not have private health insurance. i did have occasion to have to attend a doctor to arrange for a ultrasound scan. Rather than wait months, I paid it to be done privately (€50) and got it done two weeks later. When you add up the cost of paying for the dubious benefits of private health cover over a number of years, you could find that actually paying on the nose for treatment is cheaper IMHO
true, but if you have a chronic condition that you need continous treatment, it's going to add up, and medical treatment cost are rising very fast
Yes, of course, I already knew that (it's obvious). But what I want to know is what chances you have of getting private or semi-private: an estimation based on people's experience. I would like to know if people normally get the accomodation type they are entitled to (private/semi-private). What I'm wondering is if it makes sense to pay extra for something better (in case you need it) or in reality (statistically) it is a waste of money because you would normally get the same as someone paying less. I hope this clarifies what I'm asking. Thanks.
you cannot choose your room, it's up to the hospital/bed manager, depending on the number of emergency patients, mrsa patients in isolation etc, it's the luck of the draw... you will probably get treated faster with insurance, as the private consultants seem to treat insurance patients first, as the get pair more... another reason they are against mary harney's idea to hire public only consultants, who would obviousy get the public waiting lists down
Some time ago I attended my GP who referred me to a consultant in the Mater Hospital. I rang up to make an appointment. I could see him next week if I went privately or sometime next year if I wanted to go publicly.
Murt
as my last point above, the private patients are worth more to the consultants !
Knorp - I have only 5 examples of the Irish healthcare system.
Myself - went to A & E in Galway for tetanus infection after cutting my foot on glass at a weekend. Waiting 5 hours to be seen, A & E was like a scene from a war zone. Don't remember ever paying anything for this.
Elderly lady over 70 with no medical card and no private insurance had something on her back that had to be removed. Given appointment 2 weeks later, surgery done in a day. No bill ever received. Mallow hospital.
Lady with first baby in Erinville (spelling) Cork, medical card, so called public patient. 1st class treatment all the way. Midwives in particular brilliant, then 2nd child in the new hospital in Cork, this year, completely different scenario. Midwives too busy etc. Put in room with women who already had given birth as they didn't believe her the baby was coming. It was, she nearly gave birth on the toilet - I kid you not. The next day the ladies all asked her was she the one with the quick birth.
Lady with 2nd baby in Galway University hospital, with VHI, private consultant, he came from a dinner party, when it was all over - to get his fee, was put in a public ward even though entitled to private as all the privates had been given to emergency scenarios (women who had caesarean/difficult births etc). Ward had a lady from a certain section of Irish society who tend to have lots of babies, this young lady was screaming to be let out of the hospital even though they were telling her she risked her life and the babies. About 20 of her family was in attendance, including kids running around wildly and my sister left the hospital in distress as she could not breastfeed, change or do anything in privacy and had given birth to a huge baby......... In particular I remember the beds were very close together and lots of kids were running in and out.
Elderly lady from Mayo, went to public hospital, don't know how long this appointment took but told she needed 2 hip replacements, 2 year waiting list. Result: as she had no money her children paid for her to go private and it was done practically immediately.
Now it's up to you to decide what you want to do. Personally I'd save the private healthcare fees and use it for when you need an operation/test etc particularly if you are young.
*could a gp not give the tetanus ?
*elderly lady would have had a medical card, no charges for people over 65 anyway if public patients
*agree about going public for babies, no advantage about going private what so ever, only some people would HAVE to go to the bons being private is so in these days
!! and there is no guarantee that the consultant would even be there anyway, usually it's a midwife that delivers the baby !
*would with the hip should have applie to the national treatment purchase fund, to get it done quicker.
*girl in galway was very luck to have a consultant come in from dinner party ! as per the point above, normally it would have been left up to the midwife..
Personally, I wouldn't base the decision on whether or not to take out private health insurance on what type of bed you might get. It's far more relevant to if and when you will be diagnosed and treated. For example, a few years ago when I didn't have VHI, my son was referred to a consultant by our gp. As we didn't have insurance, it was to be an estimated 3 years waiting to see the consultant. I rang all the relevant consultants' secretaries in the area, and each of them would see him privately within 2 weeks. Thank god the problem passed and we actually cancelled teh appointment as recommended by our gp, but if you need to see a consultant, there is no comparison.
agree about the bed preference.
and another way public patients lose out to private as the consultants would rather get the money for treating private patients..