Health Insurance What is the point of having private health insurance?

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Equality

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What is the point of having private health insurance when all of the hospitals, bar one, in the UHL group cancel their elective surgeries hours before the patients are due to attend? A number of patients, both public and private, had already travelled some distance because of the lack of notice.

This hospital group continually has the highest trolley figures in Ireland without any real solution on the horizon. One purported reason for the cancellation of elective surgeries was that there was not enough staff to cover summer holidays, if you don’t believe the official version.

Can the patients with private health insurance claim any expenses for these cancelled procedures? Can patients claim for the health implications caused by these cancelled procedures?

Would this cancellation be allowed in any other hospital group in Ireland? If not, why is the whole of the UHL hospital group singled out for this unjust special treatment?

So much for levelling up in Ireland.
 
UL Hospitals isn't the only hospital group that cancels operations.

A quick Google gets this

connachttribune.ie

Hospital sees 1,000-plus surgeries and admissions cancelled in first quarter alone - Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune

MORE than 1,000 surgeries and admissions at UHG had to be cancelled in the first three months of 2024 due to overcrowding at the hospital. At a meeting of Regional Health Forum West, City Councillor John Connolly (FF) sought figures for the number of elective procedures that had to be postponed...
connachttribune.ie connachttribune.ie

I remember my Dad having a planned operation in the 90s being warned it could be cancelled due to lack of beds.
 
I used to work in the hospital system as a clerical worker. I still renew my private health insurance each year; I recommend others should do the same. If I can see the point, I assume others can see it too (bearing in mind the title of this thread).

This is a democracy, if you want to sue the HSE or any hospital the country is saturated with solicitors who are willing to take you on as a client.

I’m not going to defend hospital waiting lists, patients waiting on trolleys etc, but I am thankful to the hospital service we have. Litigation is probably the main fear/concern of any medical consultant and other caring staff.
 
I thought that there was a Key Post on "Is health insurance necessary?" but I can't find it.

The fact that a hospital cancels elective surgery is not a reason for not taking out health insurance. In fact, it might be a good reason for taking out health insurance.

My guess is that much fewer elective surgeries are cancelled in private hospitals than public hospitals. If the A&E in Vincent's Public hospital gets swamped, they might need the beds and the surgeons to deal with the emergencies so they cancel elective surgeries. If you were having the same operation in the Beacon, it's unlikely to get cancelled because their A&E gets swamped.

Brendan
 
Towger said:
UHL is seen as the biggest basket case.
This video sums up the country:
youtube.com

Never get a job in Ireland!!ð®ðª #funny #comedy #ireland #irish

youtube.com youtube.com
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Equality said:
What is the point of having private health insurance when all of the hospitals, bar one, in the UHL group cancel their elective surgeries hours before the patients are due to attend? A number of patients, both public and private, had already travelled some distance because of the lack of notice.

This hospital group continually has the highest trolley figures in Ireland without any real solution on the horizon. One purported reason for the cancellation of elective surgeries was that there was not enough staff to cover summer holidays, if you don’t believe the official version.

Can the patients with private health insurance claim any expenses for these cancelled procedures? Can patients claim for the health implications caused by these cancelled procedures?

Would this cancellation be allowed in any other hospital group in Ireland? If not, why is the whole of the UHL hospital group singled out for this unjust special treatment?

So much for levelling up in Ireland.
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As leya are raising their fees again by approx 6.5% after all their other increases and I pay for 3 policies, it’s going to be nearly impossible to continue to fund private health insurance, on a fixed income in the future. I have had health insurance with Vhi etc for 40 years but will struggle to keep paying. Personally I abhor that particular hospital which is having its elective procedures cancelled. which l believe has the worst history of care and infection control in the state. Appalling lack of care. I have relatives who work in their dysfunctional systems and try their best, but they are swimming against a tide of mismanagement. Personally I have have a life limiting disability due to their treatment or lack thereof. I have seen MRSA run rampant and been covered up in relation to another close family member. Public or private you are often shuttled into that hospital by some GPs even after requesting that you never set foot in there again due to lack of choice and Consultants only being available at those public hospitals for procedures or operations.
 
I’ve seen relatives able to get elective surgeries on demand and those not able to. Life can be a pure misery waiting on elective surgery.

Likewise if you live near one the small injury clinics are a much better experience than A&E.

I have private health insurance and am lucky enough in that it’s 3% of net income but I’d keep it even if it was up to 10%.
 
Dr Strangelove said:
I’ve seen relatives able to get elective surgeries on demand and those not able to. Life can be a pure misery waiting on elective surgery.

Likewise if you live near one the small injury clinics are a much better experience than A&E.

I have private health insurance and am lucky enough in that it’s 3% of net income but I’d keep it even if it was up to 10%.
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Yes in Limerick there isn't a private hospital with full surgery. I read they are moving to a new facility soon, so possibly an extended range of surgery will be available.

Whereas in Galway there are 2 private hospitals.
 
november16 said:
As leya are raising their fees again by approx 6.5% after all their other increases and I pay for 3 policies, it’s going to be nearly impossible to continue to fund private health insurance, on a fixed income in the future. I have had health insurance with Vhi etc for 40 years but will struggle to keep paying. Personally I abhor that particular hospital which is having its elective procedures cancelled. which l believe has the worst history of care and infection control in the state. Appalling lack of care. I have relatives who work in their dysfunctional systems and try their best, but they are swimming against a tide of mismanagement. Personally I have have a life limiting disability due to their treatment or lack thereof. I have seen MRSA run rampant and been covered up in relation to another close family member. Public or private you are often shuttled into that hospital by some GPs even after requesting that you never set foot in there again due to lack of choice and Consultants only being available at those public hospitals for procedures or operations.
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Fascinating to learn that UHL's problems are all due to mismanagement. God bless your innocence!
 
Marsupial said:
Not a chance; you have relatives working there who evidently know everything. And who am I to question such an unimpeachable source?
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Its not their opinion. Its mine and by golly everyone who has had the misfortune to have to use the services. Entitled to my opinion as you are you yours. Opinions like noses everyone has one and as you are possibly either management or HR yours might be a bit biased. Good luck
 
Apparently, private patients in the UHL group were asked, while they were waiting on trolleys, for their insurance details but they did not receive private care including private room etc.

What is the point of having private health insurance if the UHL group cannot provide private health care. UHL group should be prevented from charging private patients until and unless they can provide private health care to the same standard as other private care hospitals, after all, the customers pay the same premiums as private patients in the rest of the country.

A private hospital with full medical services is required in the UHL group area because of the ongoing political failure, first the government close 2 emergency departments in the UHL group in 2009 and then wonder why the trolley figures are consistently so high since then.
 
Consultants are now being offered public-only contracts with higher pay.

The idea is to remove private activity from under the roof of public hosps.

Minister Donnelly announces more than 1,900 Consultants have signed the new Public-Only Contract

www.gov.ie www.gov.ie

  • 45% of consultant workforce now on the new Contract
  • 4,265 consultants currently working in our public health service – 30% growth in four years

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced that 1,923 consultants have signed the new contract since it was launched last March. The 1,923 figure is made up of 380 new entrants signing the contract and 1,543 consultants who have switched from their existing contracts.
This means that more than 45% of the total number of consultants working across our health service are now on the new contract.
 
Prior to budget 2023 if you were on a trolley in a public hospital you'd be charged the overnight fee for a (non medical card) public patient - in the order of €100 per night. My daughter was on a trolley in A + E in Crumlin a number of years ago and I refused to give my Insurance details; I got a bill for something like €500 - only then I gave over my details and Irish Life were charged about €6,000. Its the dilemma of hospitals needing funds badly and insurance companies making millions. The circa €1,200 per night that the Hospital charge the insurance company is some kind of 'average' cost of running the hospital and doesn't reflect an individuals 'experience'.
 
Protocol said:
Is there no private hosp in Co. Limerick?
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There is Bon Secours on the old Barrington site. They are moving soon and I assume they will be providing more services. At the moment it's only non invasive or minor surgery stuff.
 
Equality said:
Apparently, private patients in the UHL group were asked, while they were waiting on trolleys, for their insurance details but they did not receive private care including private room etc.

What is the point of having private health insurance if the UHL group cannot provide private health care. UHL group should be prevented from charging private patients until and unless they can provide private health care to the same standard as other private care hospitals, after all, the customers pay the same premiums as private patients in the rest of the country.

A private hospital with full medical services is required in the UHL group area because of the ongoing political failure, first the government close 2 emergency departments in the UHL group in 2009 and then wonder why the trolley figures are consistently so high since then.
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I don't have VHI to get a private room, just access to care. This is the case in lots of public hospitals.
 
Equality said:
Apparently, private patients in the UHL group were asked, while they were waiting on trolleys, for their insurance details but they did not receive private care including private room etc.

What is the point of having private health insurance if the UHL group cannot provide private health care. UHL group should be prevented from charging private patients until and unless they can provide private health care to the same standard as other private care hospitals, after all, the customers pay the same premiums as private patients in the rest of the country.

A private hospital with full medical services is required in the UHL group area because of the ongoing political failure, first the government close 2 emergency departments in the UHL group in 2009 and then wonder why the trolley figures are consistently so high since then.
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Bog standard question in any public hospital, one of the first questions they ask in my experience, regardless of whether it is in Limerick, Cork or Dublin. I've been asked for it in CUH, St Lukes and Tallaght in the past. In effect, the state recovers some of the expense from your insurers and you normally get very little extra in return.

Beacon also have a medical centre in Barrington Street if my memory is correct but the same choice you would have in Dublin or other places (Aut Even in Kilkenny for exampe) don't seem to be there in the Limerick area
 
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