No health insurance. How.....

shugy

Have had a medical card for 15 years and just recently i started a new business and now earning an average wage just before the medical card runs out. Come March, I won't be entitled to a medical card because of my earnings. Now I'll need health insurance which I was going to sort but know nothing about it. Who's best to deal with and is it the same as any other insurance where its monthly payments etc....

One thing that's been worrying me! I've had blood tests these last few years and its keep coming back my liver isn't to healthy. My blood tests keep coming back its overworked(forget the exact term doctor used) but now tge doctor is looking at maybe getting an MRI scan if these last tests come back same in case its something worse.

Will this effect me going for insurance. Does the insurance company ask for my records before they accept any customers.

I'm worried in case I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place as in, no medical card and unable to get insurance or even massive insurance costs became I might have a potential sickness.

Mrs OBumble

shugy wrote: »

Will this effect me going for insurance. Does the insurance company ask for my records before they accept any customers.

I'm worried in case I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place as in, no medical card and unable to get insurance or even massive insurance costs became I might have a potential sickness.

No, thats not how it works in Ireland, companies have to cover anyone who wants to take a policy.

But any health insurance you take will have a waiting period ( usually five years, longer in some cases) and you won't be covered for any pre existing conditions during that time. Also during the waiting period they wont decide whether something is covered or not until a claim is submitted. So health insurance really only is good for accidents in the first five years. No matter how much you pay.

Now this isn't so bad if you become really unwell - the public system will treat you for a maximum of €300 per year , and you just pay for GP consultation as you need it, usually about €50 per visit. Prescription drugs is where this can get expensive though.

However if you need elective treatment (ie for something which won't kill you) you can be on a very long waiting list, with no option but to wait. Its the same wait you'd face if you had a medical card though, so really you're no worse off than before.

Geuze

shugy wrote: »

Have had a medical card for 15 years and just recently i started a new business and now earning an average wage just before the medical card runs out. Come March, I won't be entitled to a medical card because of my earnings. Now I'll need health insurance which I was going to sort but know nothing about it. W

I hope you don't think that ins is compulsory.

Many people do not have health insurance.

Bear in mind that all people since 1970 are entitled to public hosp care.

shugy

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

No, thats not how it works in Ireland, companies have to cover anyone who wants to take a policy.

But any health insurance you take will have a waiting period ( usually five years, longer in some cases) and you won't be covered for any pre existing conditions during that time. Also during the waiting period they wont decide whether something is covered or not until a claim is submitted. So health insurance really only is good for accidents in the first five years. No matter how much you pay.

Now this isn't so bad if you become really unwell - the public system will treat you for a maximum of €300 per year , and you just pay for GP consultation as you need it, usually about €50 per visit. Prescription drugs is where this can get expensive though.

However if you need elective treatment (ie for something which won't kill you) you can be on a very long waiting list, with no option but to wait. Its the same wait you'd face if you had a medical card though, so really you're no worse off than before.

I don't understand the 5 yr waiting list. This sounds ridiculous to me! Why pay for five years if not covered.

ted1

Geuze wrote: »

I hope you don't think that ins is compulsory.

Many people do not have health insurance.

Bear in mind that all people since 1970 are entitled to public hosp care.

They also have to take a ticket and wait years for elective operations.

enfant terrible

ted1 wrote: »

They also have to take a ticket and wait years for elective operations.

Does having private health insurance allow you to jump the queue over the public patients?

shugy

Geuze wrote: »

I hope you don't think that ins is compulsory.

Many people do not have health insurance.

Bear in mind that all people since 1970 are entitled to public hosp care.

I thought, if I'd no medical card or health insurance, then I wouldn't get looked atvor treated. Someone even mentioned I might have to pay 3k for an MRI scan if I don't have one or the other!

Geuze

enfant terrible wrote: »

Does having private health insurance allow you to jump the queue over the public patients?

Yes.

That is the whole point of having it.

shugy

ted1 wrote: »

They also have to take a ticket and wait years for elective operations.

But isn't that the same as having a medical card! I am both British and Irish citizenship, can the UK help me if needed?

shugy

shugy wrote: »

I don't understand the 5 yr waiting list. This sounds ridiculous to me! Why pay for five years if not covered.

It's just the previously existing condition which would not be covered.

It's to stop people from only getting insurance when they need it

Geuze

shugy wrote: »

I thought, if I'd no medical card or health insurance, then I wouldn't get looked atvor treated. Someone even mentioned I might have to pay 3k for an MRI scan if I don't have one or the other!

This is what I can't understand.

There are Irish people, living in Ireland, who somehow think that if you don't have a med card or health ins, then you will face big bills.

Where do they get these wrong ideas from??



Most healthcare is financed by taxes, everybody is covered.

Hosp care, paid for by your taxes, everybody is covered.

There are just a few charges, the rest is paid by taxes, billions of your taxes.

GP fees
Drugs up to 144 pm
AE fee = 100
Overnight in hosp = 75

All the rest is paid by your taxes.

Geuze

shugy wrote: »

But isn't that the same as having a medical card!

No.

Having a medical card just saves on GP fees, drug costs, AE fees.

Everybody, let me repeat again, everybody is entitled to hosp care.

Hosp care= 75pn, free if you have GMS.

bee06

shugy wrote: »

I don't understand the 5 yr waiting list. This sounds ridiculous to me! Why pay for five years if not covered.

Waiting periods are applied to prevent people from getting sick and then taking out health insurance as a result. You will still be covered for new conditions after you take out the cover.

Del2005

shugy wrote: »

I don't understand the 5 yr waiting list. This sounds ridiculous to me! Why pay for five years if not covered.

So that people don't start paying for health insurance the day after they discover that they have a issue that takes months or years to treat on the public system, that would be health assurance not insurance.

Geuze

shugy wrote: »

But isn't that the same as having a medical card! I am both British and Irish citizenship, can the UK help me if needed?

Okay, you may be foreign, that may explain your confusion with the Irish health system.

It is complicated!!!!

Mr McBoatface

You are entitled to retain your medical card for 3 years from the date you returned to work - http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/starting_work_and_changing_job/training_and_looking_for_work/return_to_work.html

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/mc/forms/medicalcardguidelines2015.pdf

Del2005

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But any health insurance you take will have a waiting period ( usually five years, longer in some cases) and you won't be covered for any pre existing conditions during that time. Also during the waiting period they wont decide whether something is covered or not until a claim is submitted. So health insurance really only is good for accidents in the first five years. No matter how much you pay.

How would this work if you end up in hospital and say that you have health insurance and get the huge insurance bill then the insurance company says you are not covered, does the bill drop back to the public bill or are you stuck with the huge bill?

enfant terrible

Geuze wrote: »

Yes.

That is the whole point of having it.

Are you skipping the queue for the operation or just for a scan?

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

How would this work if you end up in hospital and say that you have health insurance and get the huge insurance bill then the insurance company says you are not covered, does the bill drop back to the public bill or are you stuck with the huge bill?

Normally you would contact your insurance company before being admitted, and they will confirm cover,

shugy

Geuze wrote: »

Okay, you may be foreign, that may explain your confusion with the Irish health system.

It is complicated!!!!

Im 99.9% irish. I was 100% irish until i realised i might have a heath problem so if the brits can help me medically if i was to sell my soul and claim that 0.0000001% british, then ill do it

Del2005

shugy wrote: »

But isn't that the same as having a medical card! I am both British and Irish citizenship, can the UK help me if needed?

There's no difference between Irish and UK citizens in Ireland or the UK. With the Common Travel Area we aren't considered aliens in either country, so it won't make any difference

shugy

Mr McBoatface wrote: »

You are entitled to retain your medical card for 3 years from the date you returned to work - http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/starting_work_and_changing_job/training_and_looking_for_work/return_to_work.html

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/mc/forms/medicalcardguidelines2015.pdf

I am self employed as a sole trader now and have been for 2& half years. Was on the BTEA for starting up my business but now im off it and doing ok with my business, my card runs out in march.

quadrifoglio verde

enfant terrible wrote: »

Are you skipping the queue for the operation or just for a scan?

Depends on the level of cover.
There's a lot of people out there who take out the basic level of health insurance that simply entitles them to what they were already entitled too in the public system.

nhunter100

Geuze wrote:

GP fees Drugs up to 144 pm AE fee = 100 Overnight in hosp = 75

Correct overnight in a hospital 75 euro to a maximum of 750 euro in a year no matter how long you need to stay ie greater than 10 nights which equals 750 euro. It's all about scaring people into to taking out private health insurance.

Del2005

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Normally you would contact your insurance company before being admitted, and they will confirm cover,

In an emergency situation you won't have time and they ask on admission.

Del2005

enfant terrible wrote: »

Are you skipping the queue for the operation or just for a scan?

You're in a different queue when you go private.

shugy

Geuze wrote: »

This is what I can't understand.

There are Irish people, living in Ireland, who somehow think that if you don't have a med card or health ins, then you will face big bills.

Where do they get these wrong ideas from??



Most healthcare is financed by taxes, everybody is covered.

Hosp care, paid for by your taxes, everybody is covered.

There are just a few charges, the rest is paid by taxes, billions of your taxes.

GP fees
Drugs up to 144 pm
AE fee = 100
Overnight in hosp = 75

All the rest is paid by your taxes.

What about MRI/ct scans etc....

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

In an emergency situation you won't have time and they ask on admission.

Well in your original post you hypothetically told the hospital you have insurance. If you come in as an emergency, unable to talk they are obviously not going to send you to the private room if they are unable to confirm insurance cover, so you would be treated as a public patient. They will try to ascertain cover though

enfant terrible

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Depends on the level of cover.
There's a lot of people out there who take out the basic level of health insurance that simply entitles them to what they were already entitled too in the public system.

So if you have a very expensive health plan will you jump above someone on the public system if you need a heart transplant?

ted1

enfant terrible wrote: »

Does having private health insurance allow you to jump the queue over the public patients?

Not jump the Queue but joins different shorter queue, most consultants and surgeons have private clinics where they see property care patients.

For elective surgeries you are talking about days and weeks as oppose to years in the public system.

Here's one example https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/health/public-patients-wait-up-to-25-times-longer-for-cancer-tests-1.2624303%3Fmode%3Damp?client=safari

enfant terrible

ted1 wrote: »

Not jump the Queue but joins different shorter queue, most consultants and surgeons have private clinics where they see property care patients.

For elective surgeries you are talking about days and weeks as oppose to years in the public system.

Here's one example https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/health/public-patients-wait-up-to-25-times-longer-for-cancer-tests-1.2624303%3Fmode%3Damp?client=safari

Couldn't you just pay for all those test privately if you ever did need them?

Rather than paying a couple of grand for health insurance every year.