Public health care for people coming to Ireland

If you are a European Union (EU) national or if you are normally resident in Ireland, you are entitled to receive the same level of health care as Irish citizens. Depending on your income, you may be eligible for a medical card, which entitles you to the full range of medical services at no cost.
Otherwise, you will be entitled to certain services free and you will have to pay for the remainder. If you are coming to live, work, study or retire in Ireland you can find out more information on eligibility for public health services. If you are coming to Ireland on holiday or on a short stay (i.e., business), find out more information on health services for visitors to Ireland.

Private health care for people coming to Ireland

In addition to the public health system, people in Ireland can avail of a range of private health care services. You must pay the full costs of treatment if you opt for private health care.
There are two private health insurance companies in Ireland - VHI and BUPA. As long as you are from the EU or normally resident in Ireland, you are entitled to the same benefits from your private health insurance with either of these two companies as any other Irish citizen.
Your private health insurance premium attracts tax relief at the standard rate (20%).

Acute hospital services exist to diagnose, treat and care for seriously ill or injured patients. Acute hospital services are provided in health board hospitals, public voluntary hospitals and private hospitals. Some hospitals are specialist - for example, maternity hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, cancer hospitals, while others are general. The large general and regional hospitals provide a broad range of services. Smaller local hospitals may not be able to cater for all illnesses and treatments and you may have to be transferred to a larger hospital or to a specialist hospital. Everyone living in the country and certain visitors to Ireland are entitled to free maintenance and treatment in public beds in health board and voluntary hospitals. Some people may have to pay some hospital charges . Out-patient services in public hospitals are also free of charge but some people may have to pay an initial charge if they have not been referred by a GP. If you are in a private hospital or in a private bed in a public hospital, you must pay for both maintenance and treatment. Your private health insurance may cover some or all of the costs.

Public and private hospitals and beds
Broadly speaking, there are three different types of hospital but there is very little difference in practice between the first two types: ? Health board hospitals, owned and funded by the health boards ? Voluntary public hospitals, most of whose income comes directly from the government. Voluntary public hospitals are sometimes owned by private bodies, i.e., religious orders. Other voluntary public hospitals are incorporated by charter or statute and are run by boards often appointed by the Minister for Health and Children ? Private hospitals, which receive no state funding. Public health services are provided in what can broadly be termed the public hospitals - health board hospitals and public voluntary hospitals. Most of these hospitals also provide private health care but they must clearly distinguish between public and private beds. The distinction between the broadly termed public hospitals and private hospitals is the same regardless of the range of services provided by the hospitals. Normally, you must be referred by a GP in order to avail of hospital services. There are waiting lists for non-emergency services in many areas.

Accident and Emergency/Casualty

Most general hospitals and some specialist hospitals have accident and emergency or casualty departments which patients may attend without being referred by a GP. If you attend without a GP referral, you will be charged 40 euro. However, if you have to return for further visits in relation to the same illness or accident, you do not have to pay the charge again. The following groups do not have to pay the charge if they do not have a referral from their GP.

? medical card holders
? people who are admitted to hospital as a result of attending the casualty department (you may then be subject to in-patient charges).
? people receiving treatment for prescribed infectious diseases
? Children up to six weeks of age, children suffering from prescribed diseases and disabilities and children referred for treatment from child health clinics and school health examinations
? People who are entitled to hospital services because of EU Regulations.
? Women receiving maternity services

Long-stay patients

Sometimes people become long-stay patients in acute hospitals. There is no clear definition of the distinction between acute and long stay. Some district hospitals and geriatric hospitals have designated long-stay beds.

Entitlement to free care

Everyone is entitled to public in-patient and out-patient services but some people may have to pay some hospital charges.
Entitlement to free care means that you are entitled to a bed in a public ward and free consultant services while you are there and to out-patient services in a public hospital.
If you avail of private treatment either in a private bed in a public hospital or in a private hospital, you have to pay for your maintenance and treatment.
The cost of a private bed in a public hospital is set from time to time.
If you are not ordinarily resident in Ireland and are not entitled to free or subsidised health services as a visitor to Ireland, you have to pay the full economic cost of the service. This means you pay for the full economic cost of all the services provided, including maintenance, cleaning, etc., in addition to medical and surgical costs. If you use a public bed, you also have to pay the full economic cost.
Your entitlement to free care is the same in specialist as in general hospitals.