Public vs Private health care.

[Tiny Sue]

This two tier system gets on my wick.

Get this...here in Ireland, I pay my health insurance. When Naomi was born, I opted for private care. That was a blessing because I had very high BP and pre eclampsia and ended up being hospitalised for about a month beforehand. HUGE bills and a private room all of which were covered by my insurance. The only thing it doesn't cover is the consultant's fee which is HUGE if you are a private patient. At that time it was €1200, €300 of which the insurance paid us back.

THIS time around, well, everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment. My consultant's fees have gone up to €2500. We can't afford that. So I decided to opt for public care, for which there are no fees. HOWEVER if I opt for public care I will have a public room for my confinement. The hospital policy will not allow me to opt for a private room. What is the point of paying health insurance?

PLUS with private care you have a scan with every visit, and you see the consultant you paid. With public care you are allowed TWO scans max the entire pregnancy unless there is a problem.

We are going public this time, and we will opt for a private scan in the centre for fetal medicine in Dublin, which will cost us €250, which is a tenth of the consultant's fees.

I don't know. It just doesn't seem very logical. I'm not moaning mind, but after the last pregnancy I'd like a little peace of mind, and two scans won't do it for me. And it would be nice to be able to choose what room you have, if you are paying health insurance.

What do you gals think?

Sue

 

[Minxy]

It's all alien to me mate, I'm NHS all the way

Have you got anything against public care? For the room I mean?

 

[mummy_ov_2]

im nhs all the way too, not much help sorry

 

[Tiny Sue]

No minxy, nothing against public care, except that private is more comfy and you get more sleep because in a public ward 7 other ladies are rooming (or cubicle-ing) in with their babies. So all of them are awake at some time. It was a blessing that I had my own room after the first three days when I spent that month in hospital as I was getting no sleep at all. I figured that since we could afford it at that time we might as well do it eh?

THIS time around, I hope to be only in hospital for the three days around the birth - and to actually have a baby for that time - so losing sleep won't really be an issue because I'll be losing it anyway!

That's all

Sue

 

[scones]

Ive not have private care so I cant comment but I do know, if all being well when i have given birth i want to go straight home asap.

 

[Minxy]

6 of you on a ward is a tough gig. Our were in fours and even that was exhausting! I was in for a week too so know what you mean about the noise In ours you could pay for a private room and it was only £20 or something so neither here nor there. BUT there was never one available and the nurses got quite snotty with me that I was even asking since I hadn't had a section

 

[scones]

When I had my son I was put in a private room as there wasnt any room on the ward-it was divine-I didnt have to pay either