Private Health Insurance: what difference does it make?

Alcohol is the primary cause of 25% of all road collisions and 33% of collisions resulting in fatalities in Ireland.
It's obvious to me that 75% of all collisions and 67% of collisions resulting in fatalities in IRL are caused by SOBER drivers. I insist on prohibiting sober-driving.

But seriously, my opinions are my opinions not an enlighted truth, and all I want to achieve here is to combine a bullet-list with cons for private health insurance. What I have now is:

Why I should have a private health insurance:
  • It can secure you a better room in a hospital
  • You might get a part of your fees reimbursed (excess)
  • You might see the consultant skipping the public queue
  • You are very likely to get a better service from the hospital staff
No thanks:
  • GPs are paid either way
  • Even if you buy a "no-excess" policy you still have excess - the policy wording should be rather: "no in-patient excess"
  • Once referred by your GP the out-patient treatment is free
  • In-patient treatment on short stays is E66/day, not more than E660 per year
  • In-patient costs on long stays is E120E max per week
  • With a full hospital a chance to get a private room when insured is more or less the same as getting it when public ward is full and you are not insured. If the hospital is not full I believe that even the public ward is comfortable.
  • Some fees are not covered by the policy - you may have to pay a heavy fees just because you are a private patient.
  • You can still claim for reimbursement from the revenue 20 or 41%
Please add as much as possible, feel free to edit my list - could we compose an exhaustive one together? Thanks.
 
The difference between fully private maternity and public maternity is as follows:

Public Maternity:
Usually only 2 scans - done by mid-wife.
Have to queue for aforementioned scans.
Essentially there is no monitoring of the pregnancy unless an obvious problem arises.
If problem, referred to whatever doctor is available rather than specific consultant.
Baby delivered by midwife.

Private Maternity:
Approx. 15 scans
Scans done by consultant, not midwife.
Patient picks their own appointment times/dates.
No queues.
Same high ranking consultant present at all visits.
Regular monitoring (c.15 visits).
Consultant is present for birth.
Proactive monitoring of pregnancy - regular blood tests etc., problems dealt with immediately.

VHI type semi-private is somewhere in between the above (depending on plan etc.).

Experience of my wife is that she would never go public with pregnancy. On last one, a minor problem was discovered on a visit and nipped in the bud very quickly. If she had been a public patient, this problem would not have been spotted and very likely would have been a big problem around the time of the birth.

Perhaps this is your experience but the standard of public care you outline is not what is generally available.

Most public patients are monitored regularly, often through the combined care scheme whereby they see their GP six or seven times and their hospital about six times (but more often if there is a problem). Scans are normally carried out by a doctor at the hospital and how many scans are given vary with hospital policy.
 
The difference between fully private maternity and public maternity is as follows:

Public Maternity:
Usually only 2 scans - done by mid-wife.
Have to queue for aforementioned scans.
Essentially there is no monitoring of the pregnancy unless an obvious problem arises.
If problem, referred to whatever doctor is available rather than specific consultant.
Baby delivered by midwife.

Private Maternity:
Approx. 15 scans
Scans done by consultant, not midwife.
Patient picks their own appointment times/dates.
No queues.
Same high ranking consultant present at all visits.
Regular monitoring (c.15 visits).
Consultant is present for birth.
Proactive monitoring of pregnancy - regular blood tests etc., problems dealt with immediately.

VHI type semi-private is somewhere in between the above (depending on plan etc.).

Experience of my wife is that she would never go public with pregnancy. On last one, a minor problem was discovered on a visit and nipped in the bud very quickly. If she had been a public patient, this problem would not have been spotted and very likely would have been a big problem around the time of the birth.

I have to disagree with this. I was a public patient for my last pregnancy and used the Domino Scheme [broken link removed]

My pregnancy was monitored through out by the midwives and the care was excellent. I did not have to que for my scan, I picked my own appointments and never had to wait for more than 10 mins. I had all the usual blood tests and my blood pressure was taken at each visit.

I don't think there is a need for 15 scans in pregnancy and its inaccurate to say the consultant will deliver the baby. I have lots of friends whos consultant were not at the birth of their child.

As a public patient you also have the option of share care where you can visit your GP through out your pregnancy in addition to seeing the midwives.
 
As a public patient you also have the option of share care where you can visit your GP through out your pregnancy in addition to seeing the midwives.

Most public patients are monitored regularly, often through the combined care scheme whereby they see their GP six or seven times and their hospital about six times (but more often if there is a problem). Scans are normally carried out by a doctor at the hospital and how many scans are given vary with hospital policy.

The visits I am referring to in my post are IN ADDITION to the share care where you visit your GP. They are actual visits to the hospital where the consultant personally sees the patient. Fully private still do the visit the GP/midwife several times.

its inaccurate to say the consultant will deliver the baby.

Not true. Fully private maternity cover provides that the consultant will be present at delivery (assuming unforeseen circumstance, though in these cases, cover will be provided by consultant of similar status).

As I've said in post - this is for the full maximum level of private treatment - there are various lesser levels of "private" and "semi-private" treatment with less visits etc. depending on what insurance people have and what they are prepared to pay (though with reclaiming tax, the cost is less of an issue).

My wife has had max level of fully private, so has one of my sisters. I'm speaking from personal experience, not second hand knowledge.

Typical regime would be.

Initial scan @ 6-8 weeks - (Consultant scan)
Inital midwife scan to confirm preg. (hospital scan)
Monthly scans to 6 months - (Consultant scan)
Second midwife scan - the legal abnormality scan. (hospital scan)
7th & 8th months - scan every 2 weeks.(Consultant scan)
9th month - scan every week. (Consultant scan).

There are also minimum of 6 GP or midwife check-ups that everyone is entitled to on national health service.

I have to disagree with this. I was a public patient for my last pregnancy and used the Domino Scheme [broken link removed]

If you have to go public, then NMH is the best bet - care is better than other hospitals.
 
Im horrified - it sounds archaic!!! Have other people experienced similiar?

Yes - very similar post-natal care (after a c-section) and I was a private patient. Labour & ante-natal care was probably better. Possibily it was the same hospital as me which I will never enter again !
 
You mean Holles Street? Care to back that claim up with some supporting evidence?

Check the various reports on this website:

[broken link removed]

Irish Childcare Trust

In particular look through the care and stats for in the Consumers Guide to Maternity Services in Ireland section of the site.

NMH level of spontaneous vaginal birth is significantly higher than any of the other Dublin maternity hospitals and the rate of caeserian is significantly lower. There are detailed reports on all maternity hospitals in Ireland including statistics.

[broken link removed]

Above is a link to Irish Health article where NMH set the record for the lowest baby mortality rate which contributed to Dublin being the safest place in the world to give birth.

If you even attended NMH, they will tell you about their reputation for low death rate for both mother and baby and claim to have lowest in world for each.
 
Slightly OT:

My doctor said I needed to see a consultant and asked if I wanted to go public or private. I chose private because I have health insurance.

My question is this: the consultant's fee is 280, do I pay this and claim it back from the health insurance, or do I just give them my number and it's free?
 
do I pay this and claim it back from the health insurance, or do I just give them my number and it's free?
You'll have to pay it, and I suspect you won't be able to claim it back (bar on a MED1). Any further visits or procedures should be covered.
 
Slightly OT:

My doctor said I needed to see a consultant and asked if I wanted to go public or private. I chose private because I have health insurance.

My question is this: the consultant's fee is 280, do I pay this and claim it back from the health insurance, or do I just give them my number and it's free?


Some health insurance policies cover you for half your day to day expenses such as doctors and consultant's visits, check with your insurer.
 
We are a couple with no children and no intention of having any, I notice that Quinn Healthcare have recently starting charging 3% for monthly payments(which BUPA didn't) and also they have stopped our 10% discount that we had through Ulster Bank, as they have stopped all group discounts so that's an extra 13% to our annual bill. Most contributions here refer to maternity and children issues, having read this I am seriously considering cancelling my policy altogether or moving to Viva's anyone any thoughts on the issue?
 
I've just read "The Undercover Economist" by Tim Harford, The Financial Times author. http://www.timharford.com/

A part of this book covers private health insurance issues - it's based on "The Market for Lemons" by George Akerlof - 2001 Nobel Prize winner. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Akerlof

Briefly, a reasonable person buys a private health insurance (PHI) only when the probability of poor health is high and the cost of PHI is lower than possible spending on his/her healthcare. As a result we have a PHI company with majority of high-risk clients - Akerlof's "lemons".

"Lemons" claim their expenses and as a consequence premiums must be rised -the company must pay off consultants, hospitals etc and must earn obviously.

In consequence these few healthy PHI customers that were misled* to buy a PHI are paying for treatment of the "lemons".

*It's my opinion that people are being misleaded to buy PHI - you can see it even here, nobody can actually tell why it is good to have a PHI. All I can find is stories about friend's cousin's neighbours that were treated badly in Public Hospitals.

It's a cruel world out there - if you are a "lemon" buy PHI and let others pay your expenses - they're probably better off and don't mind helping you.
 
It makes a big difference.

On a Friday I went to my local GP because I felt unwell with high fever. They told me that as I don't have an appointment I will have to wait a very long time.

So I went over to the VHI Swift Clinic and they told me to go to A&E. They charged me 50€ as a GP referal letter (which my GP would also) and I get 50% of that back from Vivas.

Arriving at Beaumont I was told that it would take hours (there were 42 people on trollies that day according to the INU). So I said "no thank you" and went over to the private A&E in the beacon.

I was told that I would be liable for the cost of the A&E as this was a private hospital but that scans needed would be covered by private health insurance directly (despite being out patient), so I ended up paying about 400€ which according to Vivas I will get back.

I was seen within 15 minutes by a doctor and 15 minutes later by a specialist.

3 hours later (after signing one form to allow direct billing for the inpatient procedures) I was in a private room with regular checks by both doctors and nursing staff during the whole stay. Scans were done without me waiting, further test were done in the room.

After I got discharged I received 3 follow up phone calls to see if I was okay.

42 people on trollies vs. 15 minutes.

Thanks God I pay Vivas a lot of money every month because without it I would have had a nightmare.
 
After I got discharged I received 3 follow up phone calls to see if I was okay.

42 people on trollies vs. 15 minutes.

Thanks God I pay Vivas a lot of money every month because without it I would have had a nightmare.

No - without going to a private hospital you would have had a nightmare .You didn't have to be in Vivas to go to the Beacon - you could have just paid the private hospital fees yourself.
 
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