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Private Healthcare
For peace of mind, many Irish residents opt to pay for private health insurance policies instead of relying solely on the public healthcare system.
Anyone who can afford it can take out private healthcare cover and there are usually several levels of cover depending on how much you are willing to pay.
Private insurance will help you to pay for beds and treatment in private hospitals, private or semi-private rooms in public hospitals, and visits to private doctors and consultants. Using the private healthcare system often means shorter waiting times for operations or hospital treatment.
Private health insurance can be expensive, so many Irish employers offer to subsidise the cost of the policies for their employees. They might, for example, pay for a basic level of insurance – offering typically, full cover for all treatment in a semi-private ward in a public hospital. Employees then have the option of upgrading to a higher level of cover if they want to.
There are a number of companies offering health insurance to Irish patients and they are all monitored by the Health Insurance Authority – the independent statutory regulator for the private health insurance industry here, which advises the Minister for Health and Children.
Among the best-known providers of private health insurance are:
- VHI The Voluntary Health Insurance Board – This is the oldest and largest of Ireland’s health insurance providers.
- QUINN-Healthcare – This is the second-largest provider and includes BUPA Ireland.
- Hibernian Health – A relative newcomer to the Irish private health insurance market ensuring that the sector remains competitive.
If you are a single, healthy adult with no dependents. You should expect basic health cover – semi-private accommodation in a public hospital with all treatment insured – to cost in the region of €400 a year. The same cover for a couple with two children should cost in the region of €1,000 to €1,400 annually. After that, the more cover you want, the more you pay.