Do you wanna be in my bed, my bed, my bed…
Need I say more about the so-called ‘reform’ of our health service?
The biopsy report
a patient’s perspective on life
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June 30, 2008 at 3:11 pm |
I thought a 2-tier health system meant they were going to put patients in bunkbeds and give the doctors little step ladders…
June 30, 2008 at 3:24 pm |
Is this what you mean, Geri?
http://biopsy.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/a-balancing-act/
June 30, 2008 at 9:51 pm |
Haha! If only it were true! A private patient in a public hospital here doesn’t get any special treatment. My daughter was hospitalised twice as a child for asthma. The first time we went as emergency patients and there was no time to ask whether I had health cover . . .she was treated, put in a private room and we weren’t charged. The second time, she was less stressed and I had time to complete paperwork and declared that I had private health insurance. She was treated, (same as the previous time) and put into a ward with 7 other children . . no favourites . . .and I was charged. Go figure!
June 30, 2008 at 10:22 pm |
Hi! Baino
Yeah – been there, done that many times over and still get charged no matter what sort of accommodation offered. The reality is that where you end up within the hospital has little to do with your comfort but lots to do with how much money can be made from your insurance cover.
It works both ways though. My insurance policy gives me full cover in all public and private hospitals for a single room but it only partially covers me for a single room in a high tech hospital (we’ve three in Dublin). I’ve had a lot of surgery in one of the high tech places and it’s been my experience that they’ll give you a single room without extra charge if it’s available. They’ll also shift you out of it pretty fast when a fully insured patient is admitted as they can make more money out of them!
I used to have both my children covered by enough insurance for a single room until I copped on. Firstly, children do better in company when in hospital and secondly, the few single rooms that are available in the children’s hospitals here, are reserved for patients needing isolation.
I’ve fought several battles with my health insurance company over the years. Common sense doesn’t enter the equation where profit is involved. I stuck to my guns though and eventually won on principle. I’m not paying big money for health insurance, for them to determine how my health is managed. Grrr!
July 1, 2008 at 1:11 pm |
Sorry Steph, can’t seem to open that URL you gave me (above) is it complete?
July 1, 2008 at 1:14 pm |
OK ! Got it now! I’m all fingers and fums today.. Ha! I see what you mean, lets hope Mr. Crown doesn’t fall out of bed onto his (crown).
July 1, 2008 at 2:22 pm |
When bi-location arrives it WILL mean turning right or left at the hospital entrance depending on your insurance cover!
July 1, 2008 at 4:38 pm |
Geri – thanks! Silly me, that link is now corrected.
Welcome back! Roy
My elderly mother resides in the dementia unit of a public nursing home. I’ve maintained basic health insurance cover for her in case medical problems arise which need urgent specialist care. A few months back I had reason to be glad of this when my mother developed a nasty condition which required urgent assessment and day surgery. If she hadn’t had health insurance, she’d still be waiting for an appointment to be seen whereas because she’s insured, we were able to get her seen and treated rapidly in the Beacon Hospital. In other words we ‘bought’ her care.
Today I accompanied my mother (by ambulance) back to the Beacon Hospital for her post-op check-up. The contrast between the nursing home and the Beacon, couldn’t be greater. Why or why is one place for sick people so underfunded while another can be so ‘over the top’? I know the answer can be found in the word ‘profit’ but I’m afraid I find the contrast unacceptable. My mother shouldn’t need health insurance to access good care but the fact is that the public system is so completely overwhelmed, it can’t provide the service needed. With the way things are going with healthcare in this country , I’m very glad I’ve held on to her insurance policy so that she doesn’t have to suffer any more than necessary.
July 2, 2008 at 2:21 am |
Sadly its even more complicated than the nice duvet and armchair or left or right. Private hospitals tend to cherry pick the profitable, quick and less complicated illnesses or elective surgeries. The chronic sick older or young people and serious accident cases will still end up in the public system and A&E. This often means most older people are the ones who end up on the trollies regardless of insurance status. Having plan D or whatever doesn’t mean squat initially.
July 2, 2008 at 10:04 am |
Hi! greenboil and welcome.
I agree entirely with your comment. I’m well aware of the cherry picking that goes on and this is one of the factors that irks me the most about the privatisation of our health service. But it works both ways you know.
I’ve had Plan D health insurance for years but these days, it’s not much use to me as my medical condition requires management by a surgical team which operates in the public sector only. I took out Plan D insurance when it was first introduced with a special offer of ‘no reference to previous medical history’. It was case of necessity as for years I was under the care of a top surgeon who operated only in the private sector. He operated in one of the high tech hospitals and several of the smaller private hospitals. While I was under the care of this surgeon, I had no option but to have surgery in a high tech (private) facility as the smaller hospitals did not have the back-up I required. This is why I jumped at Plan D cover when it was on special offer. When my medical condition worsened I was referred on to a surgeon who works in both the public and private sector. These days regardless of insurance cover, I have to have surgery in the public system as that’s where the real expertise lies. Every year when faced with the large bill for Plan D cover, I consider letting it go but I daren’t because (a) I’d never get back in again if I needed to and (b) with the way our health service is heading, it may well become a lifeline.
Mary Harney’s plans to privatise health care are only further complicating the situation. We need a universal system of healthcare that offers the same level of expertise to everyone regardless of ability to pay.
July 7, 2008 at 10:18 pm |
I picture says a thousand words
Well done for highlighting this Steph
I think you can judge a society by the way it treats its elderly
Why cant we have a health service like France of Norway?
July 7, 2008 at 10:46 pm |
Hi Mike and welcome!
I’d like a health service like that of The Netherlands where infection control is given top priority. Whatever about saving lives, prevention of HCAI’s is much more economic than cure.
Having spent the last two days ill with a nasty bug, I don’t wanna be in my bed, my bed, my bed any longer!
July 8, 2008 at 9:35 am |
Hi Steph
sorry to hear you were not well. We missed your comments on GM’s blog
Get well soon
When is the Health service going to get to grips with MRSA etc