Health Insurance

Saint Sonner

I moved to ROI from NI about 4 years ago with my wife. I’m 34 She is 31. 
We haven’t had any health insurance in that time and thankfully only had a few GP appointments in that time not amounting to much money. However we are coming to time of life where we are thinking of starting a family (God willing) and I was thinking that we will need this in place to cover the cost of maternity expenses.
If so what are people’s experiences and what is the best plan for reasonable money?
Should I watch out for anything else?
I was talking to a friend who doesn’t have a lot of cover at all and says that he thinks it more cost effective to just pay as you go and is hoping he won’t have any serious health issues.

Also add in to the equation where I work has a GP on site who will provide their services for €35 a visit and free physiotherapy up to a point.

Toots

If you're looking for health insurance to cover maternity expenses, bear in mind that the policy usually has to have been in place for 52 weeks prior to getting pregnant. What sort of cover would you be looking for?

If you're going public, then there's no charge for the hospital and antenatal appointments. After the birth your wife would be accommodated in a public ward, which could have between 6 and 10 beds in it, depending on which hospital/whereabouts in the country you are.

Semi-private costs about a grand, and antenatal care is shared between a consultant, midwife and GP. Some health insurance policies will cover part of the thousand euro (usually up to about 500) and you can claim tax back against the remainder with the med 1. If you have an insurance policy that covers you for accommodation in a semi private room in a public hospital, then your accommodation and birth costs will be covered (about 4-6 beds to a semi private room). However, if you go semi private and don't have insurance, then your room will cost about €800 per night, plus there's additional costs for the birth/epidural etc, so it could easily run into several thousand.

Private patients usually have all their appointments at the hospital with their consultant. The consultant fees range from about 2.5k to 5k depending on who you go with. After the birth you'll get a private room if one is available, otherwise you'll be put in a semi private room or public ward. If your insurance covers you for the private room, it'll pay the accommodation costs (and usually the delivery costs also, but you need to double check) If you don't have insurance, a private room is over €1000 per night, plus then you'll also be charged for the delivery, so when you add that to the consultant fee, you could be looking at 10k if you don't have insurance.

Personally, I've been with Laya for the last while, and I've found them very good. I'm on Care Select at the minute, which is one of the fancier plans. My husband's employer provides it, so we don't pay, but I think it's about €125 per month otherwise. There are plenty of cheaper plans though, and you can tailor the plans to what level of hospital cover you want, and whether or not you want day-to-day expenses (like GP etc) covered.

Saint Sonner

Thanks for the info - still really confused by it all. 
Healthcare in ROI is confusing.

Saint Sonner

Thanks for the info - still really confused by it all. 
Healthcare in ROI is confusing.

uck51js9zml2yt

If you want to be able to compare policies relatively easily check out www.hia.ie

Geuze

Saint Sonner wrote: »

Thanks for the info - still really confused by it all. 
Healthcare in ROI is confusing.

Indeed, we have a complex public/private mix.

Note that public maternity care is entirely tax-financed, zero price, no fees at all.

Mrs OBumble

Maternity care is the last thing I'd worry about getting health insurance for it: the public system will pay for your maternity care, and the forces of nature mean that they have to do it when you are pregnant and not put you on a waiting list! People I have talked to actually recommended going public: if you're private, you have to wait for "your" consultant to see you, but if you're public whoever is available sees you.

What you need health insurance for is elective surgery (eg if you need a knee replaced) and non-urgent medical care. The sort of stuff that the public system will put you on a long waiting list for. Note that you need to have been on health insurance for 5 years before any pre-existing conditions are covered: that's pre-existing, not just pre-diagnosed. so realistically, the chance of claiming in the first five years is small, except for accidents.

Also I'm pretty sure it's best to start before you turn 35, because the premiums go up with age if you don't.

Oral Surgeon

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Maternity care is the last thing I'd worry about getting health insurance for it: the public system will pay for your maternity care, and the forces of nature mean that they have to do it when you are pregnant and not put you on a waiting list! People I have talked to actually recommended going public: if you're private, you have to wait for "your" consultant to see you, but if you're public whoever is available sees you.

I agree with some of this but not the bit about waiting for your consultant... My wife has gone private for her maternity care and we have a 10-20 min wait to see our consultant who knows her case in detail. We pass through the public waiting area going to the private rooms and its like a warzone... standing room only, pregnant women waiting hours to be seen by whatever reg/ sho or midwife is available... very uncomfortable and a serious waste of your time if you can avoid it....
Paying for private allows for better continuity of care, consultant led care and less time off for appointments....

Dingle_berry

Is maternity care linked to PSRI / social welfare? As in do you need a certain amount of PRSI contributions before you can claim public mat care?

Geuze

Dingle_berry wrote: »

Is maternity care linked to PSRI / social welfare? As in do you need a certain amount of PRSI contributions before you can claim public mat care?

No.

Healthcare is nothing to do with PRSI.

[except for limited optical and dental benefits]

Healthcare is mainly tax-financed.

The right to healthcare is based on the 1970 Health Act.

Your PRSI goes towards social benefits.

Geuze

Every mother in Ireland is entitled to tax-financed free at the point of care maternity care.

Saint Sonner

Okay thanks to everyone for your advice it is a lot clearer now. 
I will contact some health insurer now to see what best meets our needs - I just wanted everyday people advice before I go to them becasue at the end of the day they are sales people and they are probably trying to sell more expensive policies.

Geuze

Ask on AAM.

SnowyB is a very good poster there on health insurance.

Atoms for Peace

Is it worth getting insurance before hitting 35?