Why does anyone need VHI

mloc

Grassroots_FF wrote: »

Have you called to see your local TD? I'm sure they would help. I know my local TD and minister helped a neighbour get a medical card.

User name + post = fail.

o1s1n

cancercowboy wrote: »

...and just to make it clear it was only €5,500 because you went to a private hospital.

Yep, that's exactly it. And now as I am considering legal action they have been in contact with me looking for the money back.

If I just went public (I was in a public ward for half my treatment) I wouldn't have this headache at all.

cancercowboy

senordingdong wrote: »

That's mad.

Never been in the situation myself but if that's the way it is across the board then I'd have to agree with you.

Yes, we do have a "free" Public Health Service (that you don't need a medical card to use!). It is mismanaged, inefficient, and broken. Hopefully, the next government will improve it. However it does exist and compared to the Health Care in the US and many other countries it is very very good. Use it or lose it. You don't need private health insurance unless it covers dental, and most don't.

cancercowboy

o1s1n wrote: »

Yep, that's exactly it. And now as I am considering legal action they have been in contact with me looking for the money back.

If I just went public (I was in a public ward for half my treatment) I wouldn't have this headache at all.

Frankly, €5,500 is a rip off.

ghostdancer

macquarie wrote: »

Never had health insurance, will probably never need it (male, 28) . I've never been in hospital in my life (unless visiting someone) and been to the doctor maybe once in the last 10 years. Just eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, do some exercise, and don't smoke/drink too much and I don't see any reason why someone would be visiting doctor/hospital so much as to warrant health insurance.

well, i'm glad you've found a fool-proof way of preventing so many illnesses and diseases. :rolleyes:

tails_naf

OSI wrote: »

So you didn't have to pay to visit the GP who referred you to the hospital, or the prescription medication? All of which you would need to pay for unless you had a medical card...

The GP visit isn't free on VHI either - you get, what 25 quid back per visit?
I do have VHI (get it through work), but have seriously considered declining it, as I really don't like the idea of private health insurance, and the fact that while we are not the USA (yet), we are copying their very broken system more and more each year.

The USA is the only first world country without some level of public health cover for all. 50 million in the US have no insurance. 75% of all personal bankruptcies are because of health-costs there, because you pay crazy amounts if you are not insured and sick, as there is no public safety net.

Case in point - My sister in law who is a teacher in the US, cannot stay at home to be her children, not because of salaries, but because she gets benefits, one of which is health-care.
If she quits her job, she loses the heath-care benefits (her husband's job does not offer health-care).
If she quits and opts to buy health-insurance, she cannot afford it (its many hundreds per month), but even if she could it would be useless - because she had cancer a few years ago (thankfully it has not come back).
Having being sick in the past is sad, as she is really locked in, as leaving her job and buying health-insurance, would lead to her signing up again, and cancer would not be covered then as it would be classified as 'pre-existing' condition.
So she is locked into her job, purely because of the private health insurance system there, and nothing else!
It is horrible really.

I know we can't believe that things could go that way here, that the system would be so cold as to refuse cover for pre-existing aliments, could cost hundreds per month, or exclude millions of people. People in the US in the late seventies would have said it would never happen there too, but look at them now.

We do NOT want to imitate any system like that, but every year more and more of us are of the opinion that private insurance is necessary, and it makes me really sick (pardon the pun!)

longhalloween

cancercowboy wrote: »

Not to mention the hundred or so MILLION we spend annually propping up VHI.

What pisses me off most about the cost of health insurance is that I, a 22 year old male who has not been in hospital for nearly 2 years (tore ankle ligaments) has to pay the same as a 70 year old, in poor health who visits the hospital every 3 months and who is on constant medication, because its 'illegal' to charge different prices for people who are statistically more likely to get sick.

Meanwhile I, as a 22 year old male has to pay quadruple the cost of car insurance, because statistically im more likely to crash.

cats.life

can any of you afford vhi now that its going up so i here. or does it matter cos cut backs are going to get worse. all the waiting in A and E. trolleys in the corridors ,beside toilets, .ive seen it in galway before the budget so what will it be like in few months when it realy kicks in.

sollar

Mary Harney has been a disaster for our health system.

I don't have health insurance and i really wish i had. I had no idea that the waiting lists are so long for anything other than the most obviously serious of conditions.

Cheap Thrills!

macquarie wrote: »

Never had health insurance, will probably never need it (male, 28) . I've never been in hospital in my life (unless visiting someone) and been to the doctor maybe once in the last 10 years. Just eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, do some exercise, and don't smoke/drink too much and I don't see any reason why someone would be visiting doctor/hospital so much as to warrant health insurance.

Lol I hope the sun keeps shining for ya!

E.T.

macquarie wrote: »

Never had health insurance, will probably never need it (male, 28) . I've never been in hospital in my life (unless visiting someone) and been to the doctor maybe once in the last 10 years. Just eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, do some exercise, and don't smoke/drink too much and I don't see any reason why someone would be visiting doctor/hospital so much as to warrant health insurance.

Well aren't you lucky? There are plenty of people who do everything you say, but have a genetic/inherited illness. You mightn't see any reason why they'd need health insurance, but I'm pretty sure they do.

Grassroots_FF

Grassroots_FF wrote: »

Do you not think paying customers deserve to be seen before those who don't pay? If you go into a restaurant and say you are hungry but have no money I'm sure they will give you some food but only after the paying customers have been fed first.

goat2

cats.life wrote: »

can any of you afford vhi now that its going up so i here. or does it matter cos cut backs are going to get worse. all the waiting in A and E. trolleys in the corridors ,beside toilets, .ive seen it in galway before the budget so what will it be like in few months when it realy kicks in.

really i cannot, but i still pay it, because i do have someone in the family that is very important that i have it for, i have suffered cancer when i was 27 so for all that i have no option but to keep it, also i do not socialise much maybe once in the 2 or 3 months, would rather keep vhi in place for my daughter, but will be taking it down to two family members so it may be cheaper, or seeing what bupa has to offer
the rest of us can just clam up the corridors if we get ill, so those of you on public health should have been thanking us for paying private and going to private hospitals or paying our way in public wards, as from now on you can add big numbers to those waiting for treatment, because they can no longer pay vhi,

Cheap Thrills!

I have Quinn, used to have VHI, then changed to Bupa because it was cheaper. Then Quinn took Bupas customers. Bit nervous about it when Quinn went pear shaped.:(

TeddyTedson

Why does anyone need VHI

Don't need it but it's nice to have for a bit of music before a night out :pac:

daithi2011

Like people sticking with BOI after they increased their charges,
Well if people dont use the competition, then competition means nothing, and they'll all be riding us like the VHI is now.
Make them compete. Move your Medical insurance.

Groinshot

Grassroots_FF wrote: »

Have you called to see your local TD? I'm sure they would help. I know my local TD and minister helped a neighbour get a medical card.

This is wrong in so many ways... What do you think your TD's job is?

Groinshot

tails_naf wrote: »

The GP visit isn't free on VHI either - you get, what 25 quid back per visit?
I do have VHI (get it through work), but have seriously considered declining it, as I really don't like the idea of private health insurance, and the fact that while we are not the USA (yet), we are copying their very broken system more and more each year.

The USA is the only first world country without some level of public health cover for all. 50 million in the US have no insurance. 75% of all personal bankruptcies are because of health-costs there, because you pay crazy amounts if you are not insured and sick, as there is no public safety net.

Case in point - My sister in law who is a teacher in the US, cannot stay at home to be her children, not because of salaries, but because she gets benefits, one of which is health-care.
If she quits her job, she loses the heath-care benefits (her husband's job does not offer health-care).
If she quits and opts to buy health-insurance, she cannot afford it (its many hundreds per month), but even if she could it would be useless - because she had cancer a few years ago (thankfully it has not come back).
Having being sick in the past is sad, as she is really locked in, as leaving her job and buying health-insurance, would lead to her signing up again, and cancer would not be covered then as it would be classified as 'pre-existing' condition.
So she is locked into her job, purely because of the private health insurance system there, and nothing else!
It is horrible really.

I know we can't believe that things could go that way here, that the system would be so cold as to refuse cover for pre-existing aliments, could cost hundreds per month, or exclude millions of people. People in the US in the late seventies would have said it would never happen there too, but look at them now.

We do NOT want to imitate any system like that, but every year more and more of us are of the opinion that private insurance is necessary, and it makes me really sick (pardon the pun!)

Sorry, but I fail to see the tragedy in your sister in laws situation (other than the cancer, not trying to be smart) but she's "stuck" in a job that gives her free health insurance? and pays her? I know in my household for me to be in college, I work, my father works and my mother works (and I don't pay fees.) our household can't even consider someone staying at home, even if we got free health insurance out of it...

daithi2011

queensinead wrote: »

VHI is of little use if you get pregnant. As far as I understand it covers very little, unless you have a Caesarean, which is counted as surgery.

If there are any sort of complications during pregnancy. Then you'll find out pretty quick the difference between private and public.

Insurance is something you pay for, and then hope to God you are throwing your money away, because if you have to use that insurance it means something bad has happened.

ghostdancer

ghostdancer wrote: »

well, i'm glad you've found a fool-proof way of preventing so many illnesses and diseases. :rolleyes:

I actually know loads of simpletons who believe that eating fruit and doing exercise makes them immune to cancer and all diseases. They think anyone who is sick must have brought it on themselves. Awful lot of bad karma coming their way, I imagine.

kowloon

Sullivan Massive Hockey wrote: »

I actually know loads of simpletons who believe that eating fruit and doing exercise makes them immune to cancer and all diseases.

People who get up ridiculously early and eat porridge, It's a certain type of smug these people suffer from.

tails_naf

Groinshot wrote: »

Sorry, but I fail to see the tragedy in your sister in laws situation (other than the cancer, not trying to be smart) but she's "stuck" in a job that gives her free health insurance? and pays her? I know in my household for me to be in college, I work, my father works and my mother works (and I don't pay fees.) our household can't even consider someone staying at home, even if we got free health insurance out of it...

Im sorry you suffer from such short sightedness - maybe you can get it checked on the VHI?

She wants to stay at home and look after her kids - but she cannot, so family life suffers.
She may loose her job (cut backs, etc), so then she will be royally screwed for life as her condition will not be covered even if she gets a new job (pre-existing condition clause).
She could hate her job, but cannot leave, again with this noose of insurance around her neck.

Sure she has a job, and I know I you are saying 'at least she has that' - but you really need to see how tied into and dependent on that ONE job she has now become. If her employer came to her tomorrow and said, 30% pay cut, what can she do? nada.

If any of us found ourselves in that situation, believe me, it has a desperate oppressive feeling to it.

tails_naf

daithi2011 wrote: »

If there are any sort of complications during pregnancy. Then you'll find out pretty quick the difference between private and public.

Insurance is something you pay for, and then hope to God you are throwing your money away, because if you have to use that insurance it means something bad has happened.

Actually pregnancy is the one case where there is virtually no difference. If there are ANY complications, you will get a consultant right away, public or private.

I have to say that maternity care here is second to none, we have 2 children, and went public both times, and are amazed at the quality of the care and nurses/midwives/doctors we came into contact with.

Private only gains you a private room in the hospital, and only then if there is one free. Other than that there is no difference.

It's the way it should be for all our medical services TBH

flosswoss

I moved back to Ireland at the start of last year. Part of my employment is that my employers pay 50% of my VHI bill. I was sceptical taking it up, thinking 'I'm 26, not going to need it, yada yada'. When i went to pay for it online there was a problem processing transactions so i called up and paid over the phone. There was an offer on at the time that if you paid over the phone in full they would waive the waiting period before cover kicks in. I didn't think anything of it until i was flying back to Ireland from Beirut a couple of weeks later and i ruptured a disc in my back. I spent the night/day in A&E in traction having been rushed there from the emergency on call doctor, and then straight to my GP once well enough wher ei have undergone months of physio, MRI scans, regular GP visits and now awaiting surgery for the situation. Yes, i have had to pay some upfront fees, but i got an MRI within a couple of weeks. I know people with back conditions in a lot of pain who have not received MRI scans after 2 years, and see different consultants every time they go to the pain clinics. Without the help of VHI i would not have been seen in a fraction of the time i have been, been in consioderable pain still and probably been off work a lot longer than i have been. Don't get me wrong, i am very fortunate that i am in the situation where i can benefit from this, but i will be continuing to pay for cover for the forseeable future.

tails_naf

flosswoss wrote: »

I moved back to Ireland at the start of last year. Part of my employment is that my employers pay 50% of my VHI bill. I was sceptical taking it up, thinking 'I'm 26, not going to need it, yada yada'. When i went to pay for it online there was a problem processing transactions so i called up and paid over the phone. There was an offer on at the time that if you paid over the phone in full they would waive the waiting period before cover kicks in. I didn't think anything of it until i was flying back to Ireland from Beirut a couple of weeks later and i ruptured a disc in my back. I spent the night/day in A&E in traction having been rushed there from the emergency on call doctor, and then straight to my GP once well enough wher ei have undergone months of physio, MRI scans, regular GP visits and now awaiting surgery for the situation. Yes, i have had to pay some upfront fees, but i got an MRI within a couple of weeks. I know people with back conditions in a lot of pain who have not received MRI scans after 2 years, and see different consultants every time they go to the pain clinics. Without the help of VHI i would not have been seen in a fraction of the time i have been, been in consioderable pain still and probably been off work a lot longer than i have been. Don't get me wrong, i am very fortunate that i am in the situation where i can benefit from this, but i will be continuing to pay for cover for the forseeable future.

The main problem with the VHI and the rest is - if everyone has it, then we are back to square one - everyone now has the long wait again.
What then, super-duper-vhi at 5k per year, so people can get to the head of the new list?

No one should be waiting 2 years for a scan. We don't NEED VHI, what we need is a proper functioning public system.

If I was more cynical, I'd nearly say that the system was built to be inefficient, so private health is easier to push. I mean, MRI immediately when you are private, but 2 year wait if you are not? How can one be so efficient, and one so inefficient, when the funding differential for public and privarte is not that different?

daithi2011

tails_naf wrote: »

Actually pregnancy is the one case where there is virtually no difference. If there are ANY complications, you will get a consultant right away, public or private.

I have to say that maternity care here is second to none, we have 2 children, and went public both times, and are amazed at the quality of the care and nurses/midwives/doctors we came into contact with

Private only gains you a private room in the hospital, and only then if there is one free. Other than that there is no difference.

It's the way it should be for all our medical services TBH

Not true. There is a massive difference when something goes wrong. I know this. Im not going to go into it anymore here though.

daithi2011

tails_naf wrote: »

The main problem with the VHI and the rest is - if everyone has it, then we are back to square one - everyone now has the long wait again.
What then, super-duper-vhi at 5k per year, so people can get to the head of the new list?

No one should be waiting 2 years for a scan. We don't NEED VHI, what we need is a proper functioning public system.

If I was more cynical, I'd nearly say that the system was built to be inefficient, so private health is easier to push. I mean, MRI immediately when you are private, but 2 year wait if you are not? How can one be so efficient, and one so inefficient, when the funding differential for public and privarte is not that different?

You are right there i think.
Maybe its better to convince everyone that public is enough for them. Then those of us insured will get to skip more of the queues.

tails_naf

daithi2011 wrote: »

Not true. There is a massive difference when something goes wrong. I know this. Im not going to go into it anymore here though.

My sister is a social worker, who has worked as counselor in the maternity section of CUMH, so a fairly trusted source imo, and she advised us to go public. This was for the very reason if things go wrong, public or private, you are the front of the line (yes, even in front of the private cases where things are not as bad).

I don't want to take from your personal circumstances, nor press anymore, I'm just stating the policies they were told to operate under. Also, seeing as a person/case can only be one or the other - it may be difficult to say 'what would have happened' if you had been public/private in that case.

tails_naf

daithi2011 wrote: »

You are right there i think.
Maybe its better to convince everyone that public is enough for them. Then those of us insured will get to skip more of the queues.

Selfish much?

So you are saying you'd rather pay more and more into this broken system, that is emulating the drastically broken US system, because it gets you ahead of others, rather than agree to even consider that there are other options?

I'm getting my VHI for free, no matter how high the premiums go, through my job, but I still WANT the whole thing to be scrapped and replaced with an efficient system.

If it can be 1 day waiting time for an MRI insured, and 2 years uninsured, it does not stack up - we do not have 600x more uninsured than insured, so huge efficiencies are there to be made based on numbers alone, and maybe a wait of 2 days or something for ALL would be much better, eh?

Firetrap

If the public health system was any good, there wouldn't be so many people opting for private insurance. Sure, if you fall and break your leg or have a heart attack, you're going to get treated promptly. I think the majority of people won't give two hoots what sort of room they're in as long as they're being looked after properly and are going to recover. It's the other stuff that people are paying for: not having to wait months on end for scans and tests, for example. This is the sort of thing that puts the frighteners on people - it's from the official website for the Susie Long Hospice fund

Having approached her GP in the summer of 2005 with a number of symptoms, Susie was referred for a colonoscopy. In the 7 months that she waited for this test, her as yet undiagnosed cancer spread. By the time she was diagnosed, it was too late to save her.

Susie did not have private health insurance as she did not believe it right to skip the public queue. Unfortunately, the public waiting list had grown large due to the lack of a day ward in St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny. During a chemo session in January 2007, she discovered that another patient, who had private insurance, had been diagnosed within 3 days of being referred and was going to recover.

Of course, so many people paying into private health insurance is feeding into the problem but the fear of what might happen is compelling. Health insurance is like car insurance really. You feel you're throwing good money after bad year after year until you have an accident and suddenly you need it.

daithi2011

tails_naf wrote: »

Selfish much?

So you are saying you'd rather pay more and more into this broken system, that is emulating the drastically broken US system, because it gets you ahead of others, rather than agree to even consider that there are other options?

I'm getting my VHI for free, no matter how high the premiums go, through my job, but I still WANT the whole thing to be scrapped and replaced with an efficient system.

If it can be 1 day waiting time for an MRI insured, and 2 years uninsured, it does not stack up - we do not have 600x more uninsured than insured, so huge efficiencies are there to be made based on numbers alone, and maybe a wait of 2 days or something for ALL would be much better, eh?

Wrong again. You are not getting your VHI for free. You are paying BIK on the payments made by your employer. If the price goes up, your BIK will go up.
Now the good news. If you are not aware that you are BIK'd on it, then you probably arent aware that you can also claim some tax back. You mat or may not be entitled to some money back. Call revenue and they will tell you about it.

An yes, having been there when I needed to get a loved one ahead of others quickly, I had no moral problem at all with it. I used to think I would have a problem with it and that it was unfair, still do think its unfair, but when you are in that situation, the rest of the population dont even come into your mind. Experience teaches you more than any reading, 3rd party stories etc.

steddyeddy

Sullivan Massive Hockey wrote: »

I actually know loads of simpletons who believe that eating fruit and doing exercise makes them immune to cancer and all diseases. They think anyone who is sick must have brought it on themselves. Awful lot of bad karma coming their way, I imagine.

well no izzy nothing will make you immune from cancer but fitness and diet certainly makes you healthier and in some cases less likely to get it.

sink

tails_naf wrote: »

The main problem with the VHI and the rest is - if everyone has it, then we are back to square one - everyone now has the long wait again.
What then, super-duper-vhi at 5k per year, so people can get to the head of the new list?

No one should be waiting 2 years for a scan. We don't NEED VHI, what we need is a proper functioning public system.

If I was more cynical, I'd nearly say that the system was built to be inefficient, so private health is easier to push. I mean, MRI immediately when you are private, but 2 year wait if you are not? How can one be so efficient, and one so inefficient, when the funding differential for public and privarte is not that different?

Wrong, the money you pay towards VHI goes towards paying for more doctors & nurses and purchasing more medical equipment. The more people on VHI the more there will be to pay more doctors & nurses and to purchase more medical equipment.

The reason the wait in the public healthcare system is so long is because of underfunded front-line staff and equipment and poorly managed resources. A better funded better managed private healthcare system will always be better even if everybody joins, unless the public system is completely reformed.

daithi2011

steddyeddy wrote: »

well no izzy nothing will make you immune from cancer but fitness and diet certainly makes you healthier and in some cases less likely to get it.

Do post back in 10 years and let us know how you get on though.

steddyeddy

daithi2011 wrote: »

Do post back in 10 years and let us know how you get on though.

are you predicting i get cancer in ten years

flag123

Everyone should be entitled to free health care. More and more people are going private because as everyone knows the heath system is a joke. So I wouldn't knock getting vhi because the whole "free" healthcare system could be gone within a few years!

goat2

mary harey should see the error of her ways, she should realise that there are going to be a big number of people leaving vhi because of payment difficulties, and putting double pressure on public hospital beds, at least if they kept the price down, we could keep vhi, private consultants are now also going to have less patients, while public consultants will be overloaded, god help us all, i do hope i do not get ill in the near future, it is frightning stuff

steddyeddy

goat2 wrote: »

mary harey should see the error of her ways, she should realise that there are going to be a big number of people leaving vhi because of payment difficulties, and putting double pressure on public hospital beds, at least if they kept the price down, we could keep vhi, private consultants are now also going to have less patients, while public consultants will be overloaded, god help us all, i do hope i do not get ill in the near future, it is frightning stuff

I broke a arm recently and have to commend the staff in hospital, nurses doctors ect. I was in a and e were there was one doctor there and another running down every now and the from another department.

Harney wont see the error of her ways, do you think she cares what we think. this country needs a revolution for things to change, a slightly different party wont do that.

daithi2011

steddyeddy wrote: »

are you predicting i get cancer in ten years

Im predicting that you might change your mind about how powerful vegatables are as medicine.

steddyeddy

daithi2011 wrote: »

Im predicting that you might change your mind about how powerful vegatables are as medicine.

i never said they were medicine i said being healthy and having a good diet contribute towards good health!! is everyone who says veg is healthy a advocate of alternative medicine?

steddyeddy

steddyeddy wrote: »

well no izzy nothing will make you immune from cancer but fitness and diet certainly makes you healthier and in some cases less likely to get it.

It's still largely a lottery. No amount of healthy eating and exercise can stop most serious illnesses. I know plenty of fitness freaks who have cancer, Crohn's and other illnesses, and they're all in their twenties. Obviously eating well and exercising is always a good idea, but it's still mostly down to luck. I suppose I'm just sick of smug people who think their good health is down to their hard work. It bloody isn't.

steddyeddy

Sullivan Massive Hockey wrote: »

It's still largely a lottery. No amount of healthy eating and exercise can stop most serious illnesses. I know plenty of fitness freaks who have cancer, Crohn's and other illnesses, and they're all in their twenties. Obviously eating well and exercising is always a good idea, but it's still mostly down to luck. I suppose I'm just sick of smug people who think their good health is down to their hard work. It bloody isn't.

i agree there health, health and fitness dont go hand in hand

tails_naf

sink wrote: »

Wrong, the money you pay towards VHI goes towards paying for more doctors & nurses and purchasing more medical equipment. The more people on VHI the more there will be to pay more doctors & nurses and to purchase more medical equipment.

The reason the wait in the public healthcare system is so long is because of underfunded front-line staff and equipment and poorly managed resources. A better funded better managed private healthcare system will always be better even if everybody joins, unless the public system is completely reformed.

Actually the differential funding in the public and private pools is what I am talking about here.

An estimate a good few years back for spend per capita on health was 4k a year. I'm sure its much greater now, and this is for the PUBLIC system.

VHI costs, say 1.5k per person insured (generous estimate).

so for 4k, you get an MRI with a two year wait, but with JUST an extra 1.5k in that, you get an MRI the next day. The differential funding is less than 25% extra, but the differential in service is 600% extra, in this case. So that is why I am saying the numbers don't stack up.

tails_naf

daithi2011 wrote: »

Wrong again. You are not getting your VHI for free. You are paying BIK on the payments made by your employer. If the price goes up, your BIK will go up.
Now the good news. If you are not aware that you are BIK'd on it, then you probably arent aware that you can also claim some tax back. You mat or may not be entitled to some money back. Call revenue and they will tell you about it.

An yes, having been there when I needed to get a loved one ahead of others quickly, I had no moral problem at all with it. I used to think I would have a problem with it and that it was unfair, still do think its unfair, but when you are in that situation, the rest of the population dont even come into your mind. Experience teaches you more than any reading, 3rd party stories etc.

I was aware I'm paying BIK on it, and I do claim tax back on it - but thanks for the heads up. So I suppose that I'm getting VHI for very little, compared with most others - but that doesn't change my point - that I'm still saying I'd prefer if the govt scrapped VHI and all the rest tomorrow and replaced it with an efficient public health service (like denmark, or france, or other countries where it DOES work).

tails_naf

sink wrote: »

. A better funded better managed private healthcare system will always be better even if everybody joins, unless the public system is completely reformed.

Err, if you read my previous posts, this is what I was saying - total reform of the public system, like FG are proposing with 'faircare'. I'm saying I WANT a system where VHI and the rest are abolished, and an efficient public system that covers all is put in place instead.

Surely we can all agree on that, can we not?

CathyMoran

I have been in VHI since I was born - had a health issue when I was 2 and a serious health issue (2 long term) when I was 4, 10 and 11-12 and it did help. When I was in my 20's I started to pay for it myself and when I turned 30 I decided to up my cover as when I had visited someone who attended a hospital that I was not covered for but was very impressed by the level of care that they recieved. When I was 32 I started to feel very ill and a gp referred me to a gastroenterologist privatly but there was still a 6 week wait to see him (and that was a cancellation). I saw him on the Tuesday and he promised me that he would find out what was wrong, the following morning I went for a test which showed that I needed a biopsy. On the 2nd October 2006 I was told that I had oesophageal cancer, a ct then a PET scan was done (staging) to see the extent of the spread of the cancer and chemo was started shortly afterwards. I am still here, I do not think that I would have been diagnosed in time if I had gone public.

plein de force

Because when there was something suspect with a lump i found i needed that MRI that same week not 5 months later. If i had have had to wait that 5 months, if it was cancer, i'd be dead. but within a week my worries were put to rest and i saved secondary health problems due to not worrying myself for 5 months

oh and we needed it for my dad's extremely expensive, necessary surgery a few months ago

kippy

CathyMoran wrote: »

I have been in VHI since I was born - had a health issue when I was 2 and a serious health issue (2 long term) when I was 4, 10 and 11-12 and it did help. When I was in my 20's I started to pay for it myself and when I turned 30 I decided to up my cover as when I had visited someone who attended a hospital that I was not covered for but was very impressed by the level of care that they recieved. When I was 32 I started to feel very ill and a gp referred me to a gastroenterologist privatly but there was still a 6 week wait to see him (and that was a cancellation). I saw him on the Tuesday and he promised me that he would find out what was wrong, the following morning I went for a test which showed that I needed a biopsy. On the 2nd October 2006 I was told that I had oesophageal cancer, a ct then a PET scan was done (staging) to see the extent of the spread of the cancer and chemo was started shortly afterwards. I am still here, I do not think that I would have been diagnosed in time if I had gone public.

Hi Cathy,
Thats a tough few years there and I am glad to hear you got over it.
Its a good example of why people feel they HAVE to pay for private healthcare however it really isnt the model, we, as a country, should be going down.
I pay private healthcare myself for the same reasons. Fear and the knowledge that if something serious happens me that requires relatively urgent attention, I am in theory much better going down the private route.
However, we shouldn't be accepting this as a matter of course. We should be striving for this level of care for all, through whatever means possible both through proactive healthcare and a better reactive health system. I mean we already fund the HSE massively through taxation both direct and indirect and havent really seen any improvement in things over the years despite the cost going up (both of the HSE and through private payments).

Mr Benevolent

Grassroots_FF wrote: »

I've been a proud VHI member all my life. Never jumped on that BUPA/Quinn bandwagon. Ya have to have it because you will never know when ya need it as the man says!

Oh sweet Jesus. Are all FF supporters this stupid? Wait, maybe every post this dude makes is trolling...

senordingdong

Grassroots_FF wrote:

I've been a proud VHI member all my life. Never jumped on that BUPA/Quinn bandwagon. Ya have to have it because you will never know when ya need it as the man says!

Shouldn't you be a proud HSE member?