Healthcare costs - not insurance Health Screening Advice

Ndiddy

Registered User
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Have been quoted 500-600 euro for a health screening in Dublin and was wondering what age people start screening?

LAYA offers a free cardiac screening every 2 years, get eyes checked every year for contacts, blood pressure at the pharmacy - but as a 41 year old, how often should I get other screening done?

Not sure what is normal/good in Ireland. In US we had yearly checks as part of (expensive!!!) health insurance.
Thanks
 
There is very little evidence that asymptomatic general health screening benefits patients. They are, however, lucrative for private clinics.

The main problems are: cost, over-treatment of "incidentalomas", false reassurance, and lack of evidence of improvement in patient outcomes.

See articles like: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/09/should-we-all-get-a-health-check

The best person to advise is your own GP or practice nurse who can review your personal and family history to assess your actual needs and not go by some generic list of tests that a clinic can profit from.
 
I agree with arbiton.

You haven't said what you are getting for €600 but some of this money will be to pay for things that a GP can do for €65.
All GPs can get blood tests tested for free in a public hospital (as long as we are not recovering from a cyberattack).

Also, you will be steered towards using the private hospital for everything, and your health insurance may not pay for it all.
Once anything shows up, you will be directed to a consultant in the private hospital, even if is something that your GP can manage.

It is important to manage your health once you are in your 40s, but a visit to your GP and making sure to check for lumps is my advice.
 
Ah... good to know. I think I will take the free LAYA cardiac screening and go to GP for bloods ( mostly to check for diabetes as it is in the family) and lump check!
 
Just to note that my GP has two appointment options. I don't remember what they are called but essentially they are "standard" and "extended", the latter for about €15 extra. If available, the latter may be better if you are new and need to go through medical and family history, etc and arrange tests, if required.
 
I did one of those health checks couple of years back with a place somewhere in Smithfield, there was a special offer for Laya customers plus I got 50% back from Laya plus the tax credit, the actual cost was very cheap for what I got which was ordinary checks BP etc, blood tests, chest xray and dexa scan plus the usual chat about diet/exercise and all that jazz! I thought it was excellent value for what I got as I did want the dexa scan and that alone would probably have cost me as much as I paid on it's own.

BTW I don't like my own doctor so was never going to go there as first option and yes I have contemplated changing but it's not as simple as it sounds!
 
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