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| Categories: Diabetes in everyday life |
| Diabetes in everyday life | |
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Health care system Ireland
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The Irish health care system is financed through taxes which enables its citizens to enjoy various benefits depending on which of the two groups they belong to.
In the first group are EU citizens that are resident in Ireland but insured in another EU country, pensioners, people seeking work and all those whose income is below a certain limit.
In the second group are therefore all others who do not meet the above mentioned criteria.
The first group gets a medical card that entitles to a full range of medical services without charge as for example: general practitioner service, inpatient hospital care, prescription drugs, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and rehabilitation for physically and mentally handicapped.
The second group is entitled to only a limited range of services without charge. Maternity care and infant welfare services, outpatient hospital services and emergency services with referral note from a doctor are free of charge. Medicines, inpatient hospital care, visits to doctors and emergency services without referral note from a doctor are not free of charge.
Medical card owners can not choose a doctor or hospital of their own. They have to go to a registered general practitioner and in a public hospital. Everybody who is entitled to just a few free of charge services should consider taking out a private health insurance.
In Ireland there are two insurance companies, VHI with about 1.5 million members and BUPA with about 170.000 members. All members, depending on the extent of their insurance, pay the same subscription. After a waiting period of 26 weeks for those who are under 55 years old and 52 weeks for over 55 years old you are entitled to various services. With pre-existing medical condition it takes 5 years for under 55 years old, 7 years for under 60 years old and 10 years for over 60 years old before you can claim benefits for this specific illness. Such private health insurance is provided by many employers for which employees have to make only a small contribution.
There are two government funded schemes to provide a cap to out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines. The LTI program enables patients that have been diagnosed to suffer from on of 15 named chronic illnesses, diabetes is among them, to receive medication free of charge.
The DPS program sees that no individual or family has to pay only a defined amount for drugs per month and the rest is paid for by the government. Also medical expanses can be acclaimed against tax.
Diabetics in Ireland have the possibility to acquire a long-term illness book which entitles to free diabetes medication, insulin sets, blood sugar strips and pump reservoirs. Other things like pump accessories or injection swabs need to be paid for. It’s worth thinking about taking out an additional private insurance.
Translated and (c) by Juliana Machado
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