Health Insurance Health insurance waiting period before being covered for an operation.

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Hi all, can anyone tell me how long one has to wait before making a claim via health insurance, namely to qualify for an orthopedic procedure to have it fully covered, namely a full knee replacement operation. I know somebody close to me that has no health insurance, on state pension, no source of funds ecept pension. If i pay for to take out health insurance for them how long would they have to wait before the health insurance would cover the operation. As it stands their at the mercy of the public health system, as long a wait as it was before its worse since covid hit and i want to help them as best as i can if not more.
Also on a side note if there is anyone that has had the op or a family member who has had it could you message in private with just to discuss the before and after experience so that i may in turn tell the person what its like. Thanks so much.
 
This isn't the answer, but note that if anybody else pays this person's medical bills, the payer can get 20% tax relief on the bills.
 

Waiting periods

When you take out health insurance for the first time, or it has been more than 13 weeks since you last held private health insurance, you may have to serve waiting periods before you are fully covered, but accident and injury will be covered immediately.
www.hia.ie www.hia.ie

It looks like 5 years?
 
Its five long years and also they will be very heavy loading on the premium as this person is a pensioner and the cost of the policy will be exorbitant.
Your best bet is to try and privately cover the cost of the operation for the pensioner, I have no idea of the costs involved.
 
As noted above... If you pay for operation you might be able to claim back tax credits against it at 20 percent.

"You can claim relief on the cost of health expenses. These can be your own health expenses, those of a family member or any individual’s, as long as you paid for them."

Health expenses

This page overviews how you can claim relief on the cost of health expenses
www.revenue.ie www.revenue.ie
 
Look ahead said:
Its five long years and also they will be very heavy loading on the premium as this person is a pensioner and the cost of the policy will be exorbitant.
Your best bet is to try and privately cover the cost of the operation for the pensioner, I have no idea of the costs involved.
Click to expand...
I Just remembered when i started work we got health insurance through the company, still have it, i had a operation 2 years in fully covered with no waiting. Just read the prerequisites. Yes i was under 55 with no pre existings. Thanks guys and gals for your help.
 
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Factoring in the person probably cant wait 5/6 years where they would eventually be covered by private health insurance and not even considering the huge age loading in relation to lifetime community rating you best bet is to go private.
hia.ie/consumer-information/lifetime-community-rating-explained

It was discussed on Joe Duffy last year where people from the South are traveling to Northern Ireland to get treatment for cataracts as waiting lists are very long, I think you pay up front and then are reimbursed by the HSE
rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22037339/
thejournal.ie/healy-rae-buses-patients-to-belfast-for-hip-and-knee-replacements-4317747-Nov2018/

Call the HSE perhaps and explain the situation, you can also possibly avail of this
hse.ie/services/cross-border-directive/about-the-cross-border-directive.html#another-country
 
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keving1989 said:
Factoring in the person probably cant wait 5/6 years where they would eventually be covered by private health insurance and not even considering the huge age loading in relation to lifetime community rating you best bet is to go private.
hia.ie/consumer-information/lifetime-community-rating-explained

It was discussed on Joe Duffy last year where people from the South are traveling to Northern Ireland to get treatment for cataracts as waiting lists are very long, I think you pay up front and then are reimbursed by the HSE
rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22037339/
thejournal.ie/healy-rae-buses-patients-to-belfast-for-hip-and-knee-replacements-4317747-Nov2018/

Call the HSE perhaps and explain the situation, you can also possibly avail of this
hse.ie/services/cross-border-directive/about-the-cross-border-directive.html#another-country
Click to expand...
I was not aware or this. I will make haste and enquire/inquire think its enquire in this context anyway. Cheers for that
Thanks.
 
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