Health Insurance "Should I cancel my health insurance now that the private hospitals have come under state control?"

But my health insurance, like many other people’s I’m sure, covers a myriad of other things, not just private hospitals. Fair play to Sky for pausing the charges but my own view is that due to this ‘force majeure’ ordinary rules don’t apply.
 
But my health insurance, like many other people’s I’m sure, covers a myriad of other things, not just private hospitals. Fair play to Sky for pausing the charges but my own view is that due to this ‘force majeure’ ordinary rules don’t apply.
Force Majeure works both ways! I readily accept that health insurance companies can't provide the service they've promised because of the Coronacrisis. That's reasonable. What I can't accept is they continue to charge for it.

If I had booked and prepaid a hotel room, I wouldn't complain that it was closed during the crisis. But I wouldn't expect them to keep my money either.

In fairness, they would be entitled to retain a small proportion for out-of-pocket outpatient expenses and suchlike, but not the entire premium.
 
In relation to the BIK, then the BIK would just adjust as the invoice came in to employers. So it might be lower or even negative for a time. But not a lot of extra admin.
 
Hopefully, all of society will benefit from it, a fairer and more equitable system.
Yes we all benefit from dying prematurely on waiting lists equally. Private healthcare is used in nearly every country and is perfectly fair.
 
I am just over halfway through my pregnancy as a private patient in a Dublin maternity hospital. I have not paid my consultant in full yet.

Does anyone know I am still a private patient now with these changes? So when I have my baby do I still have access to a private room.

From what I can see a lot of public patients anti natal appointments have been cancelled. Mine all seem to be going ahead.

Thanks.
 
A private hospital consultant has warned that some of his patients may go blind and that others could die as a result of the State’s temporary takeover of the facilities to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
“The morbidity, even the mortality will rise up. It’s not alone the virus which will kill people, but this will kill people,” said Prof Michael O’Keefe, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Mater Private Hospital and Beacon Hospital in Dublin.
“By and large what has happened in the past week is that the private hospitals have been nationalised for five months, maybe three to five months. Understandably the public system needs the private hospital beds, their ventilators and ICUs. Private hospitals are well run, good hospitals.”
Prof O’Keefe told RTÉ Radio’s Brendan O’Connor Show that the development was “only fair” and that the public system “has been poor” for years.
He said there were 400 to 500 “private doctors” who had a lot of patients, himself included. He said he worked in both systems until he retired and now only works on the private side. He said that as of Monday he and colleagues had been “you can no longer see your private patients in private hospitals”.
‘Basket case’
Prof O’Keefe said these patients will “now have to be all put into the public waiting list” and that his view was the public system was “collapsed in time”.
“It’s been a basket case for ages. So all these patients, including mine, we’re now having to see what can we do for them,” he said. “I’m not exaggerating and I’m not shroud waving but I believe a number of my patients, if this goes on, will go blind.”
Prof O’Keeffe said there were other private patients, “people with bad rheumatoid disease, cardiac problems, respiratory problems”, now faced with “a dilemma”.

“They’ll be put back into the public system, a public system that is non-existent.This is the reality that is going to happen,” he said, adding it was “a serious, serious issue”.
He said he believed the private hospitals “should still be left open to see these patients” and that they should not be transferred into a public system “that is not fit for purpose”.

Coronavirus: Consultant fears his patients may ‘go blind’ due to loss of private care (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/hea...o-blind-due-to-loss-of-private-care-1.4221471
 
My wife had a minor op just the week before the change over from private to public, she had a one night stay costing €700 in The Hermitage which was paid for by our insurer. Now she has a follow up in two weeks with the consultant and he stated his fee for this is €130 is this allowed? Is it not now operating as a public hospital?
 
Nobby 4822,

600 consultants did not sign up to the new arrangement yet, it is still under discussion.
One of the outstanding issues relates to their private clinics.

Snowyb
 


The VHI has said it will return an average of 50 per cent of premium to health insurance customers for an initial three-month period following the Government’s takeover of private hospitals.
Laya Healthcare said it would reimburse €195 for every adult member and €60 for every child member.
“The total will be split into three equal instalments and paid over three months - April to June 2020 -which is the estimated period of time that our hospitals will be re-organised in response to Covid-19,” it said, adding that the firt instalment would be paid by April 30th.
Other private health insurers are to announce details of the “financial supports” they will provide to subscribers.
Insurance Ireland said each insurer has also committed “to introducing specific customer supports for those who are facing financial difficulties as a direct result of Covid-19”.
It said private health insurers were “committed to playing a constructive and supportive role during this national health crisis and appreciate that this is a very difficult time for their customers.”
It said insurers were continuing to pay claims in respect of their customers which fell outside the private hospital agreement with the HSE.
This includes cover for private care in public hospitals, psychiatric care both inpatient and outpatient, maternity care and addiction treatment and a range of other services and benefits, it said. For the hospitals that are included in the agreement, private health insurers will cover the public hospital charge for in-patient services of €80 per day up to a maximum of 10 days.
Insurance Ireland said it welcomed the partnership between private hospitals and the HSE in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It said following ongoing discussions in recent weeks, health insurers now had greater clarity on the impact of this agreement for their customers.
“Each insurer will take the necessary measures to provide appropriate Covid-19 support to their customers while ensuring that customer value is maintained, and they are a position to pay customer claims into the future.




VHI, Laya to refund customers after Government’s takeover of private hospitals (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/hea...ent-s-takeover-of-private-hospitals-1.4230612
 
So VHI returning an average of 50% and Laya returning an average €195 for every adult. My premium with laya is around €110 per month so it does not look to be very fair



RTE news reporting Irish Life will give customers a rebate on their premiums for a three month period of between 36% and 60% for 'Advanced Plans' and 17-21% for 'Non-Advanced Plans'.
 
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