Hospital bill - WWYD

[Dk20]

Not an AIBU but want to know WWYD.

In Ireland, we've been allowed to have socially distanced garden visits if someone lives less than 5km from you.

Me and ds visited dsis and her ds. The kids were playing in the garden, they bumped into each other while running and my dsis ds fell and cut his head. He had to go to a&e which resulted in a hospital charge for them.

Dsis has said not to worry as accidents happen with children, but I feel like I should pay for at least half of the hospital bill. In my situation WWYD?

@fuzzyduck1 yes there is plenty of free healthcare...for everyone not just those on low incomes! BUT...we pay for GP Appointments, a&e admissions, and a detainee amount of care (€650 worth per year...after that it IS FREE!) it's a subsidized, two tiered system afaik) Those who can afford to pay private health insurance and have the option of using the private system.

Maternity care is ALWAYS free and children under 6 have free GP visits also

@EarringsandLipstick my insurance covers a certain number of GP visits per person per year and also fully pays A&E admissions. AND also dental care up to the value of €200 per person per year! It's a great plan 👍

Also in regards to GP's appointments I can get them the same day if necessary and the receptionist don't ask what your appointment is for!! I found it extremely weird when I was in the U.K. and I had to explain every problem to the bloody receptionist beforehand!!!

@Hollyhobbi are you getting the Covid rebate from your insurance provider? My provider are reimbursing me 170 per month for 3 months (to be reviewed!) whilst true private hospitals have been commandeered! Ring them and look into it for sure!!

I guess you would do what you would normally do if there is an accident and your sister has to call/pay for an ambulance when your son is involved. Does Covid-19 make any difference here?

@nowaitaminute I'm getting back €450 in total from my health insurance provider which will be a big help. And while private hospitals are supposed to be taken over that is not strictly true anymore. I checked with my insurer and they said Consultants can still see private patients and charge them of course. It's a mad situation as private hospitals are nearly empty both the wards and the clinics. The A and E was nearly empty too when I was in there. I would have been in and out really quickly only I had to wait to have the nose packing removed after 6 hours and one trip turned into a ten hour wait as the packing was removed and my nose started pumping again so they had to put in a new one and I had to wait for hours again. There isn't a charge for the ambulance only for the visit to the A and E dept. Anyway enough rambling off topic from me.

So, to answer your actual question, OP. As you have already offered the money and she declined, I’d just pick out a nice present for the child and send them that.

Having lived in both the UK and Ireland had lots of experience of both healthcare systems, i’d say they both have problems. They are both pretty poorly resourced, but I was always able to get treatment quicker in the Irish system. Yes you had to pay, but it wasn’t much for us although we were fairly healthy. It’s free if low waged and a lot of people have private cover, often paid by their employer. The NHS while free provides a worse service in my experience, waiting weeks for appointments is bloody ridiculous, and some of the hospital care I received was downright negligent. If I had to choose aid go with the Irish system, but IMO neither system is great.

Yeah, but our water is free💧.

And there are not that many people who have their health insurance paid for by their employer.

Hollihobi I stand corrected! I had health insurance paid by my work, so I thought it was pretty common. It was pretty pointless anyway, as I still had to pay to see the GP! I'm not sure what it did cover actually, I don't think I ever used it.

@fuzzyduck1

So no free medical help in Ireland that’s a bit shit.

Well at least we don't have to wait two weeks to see a GP!

Only BIG companies pay your health insurance (pharmaceuticals, APPLE, google, bigger banks etc)

@Hollyhobbi glad you are getting a rebate...every little helps I suppose.

Also for the U.K. ppl on this thread...we don't pay council tax either so 🤷‍♀️

Anyway back to the OP, it wouldn't occur to me to expect the other child's parents to pay.

Also for future reference if you go to D-Doc first and then get told to go to A&E there's no charge. Word to the wise.

Yeah, but our water is free

That's because you have plenty of it .

Boggled at people who are surprised that different countries run their public services differently to the UK. Why on earth would you assume that it's the same?

unlike the NHS system if trying to get a GP appointment which freaks me out reading it here!

It freaks me out too and I'm in England, I can always see a GP the same day.

OK people you dso know about the Isle of Man don't you? It's never beenin the EU.

And as for NI, well until very recently women comming to Britain for abortion services had to pay, even if the abortion was provided by the NHS.

And as for NI, well until very recently women coming to Britain for abortion services had to pay, even if the abortion was provided by the NHS

Yes, I think one of the bigger private providers used to have a reduced price for NI women to account for travel/accommodation costs of coming to England for an abortion.

People living in Ireland also pay for their own waste removal
So do Brits - via Council Tax.

My council tax is £85 a month.

I could easily get health insurance in Ireland for a similar rate.

So it's horses for courses really.

Aside from that, give maybe €20 to Dn to put in his piggybank for uni!!

@Serin I know right. Lesson learned, never show interest in something you don't know about a neighbouring country - you're clearly a colonialist

Nervousnelly8 - It was clear from the OP that she was in Ireland and that there is a charge in some cases. Your innocent post was off-topic and goady. Don't play the innocent with me. It was very much a Wow - isn't Britain so fucking great with its unusable 'free' service.

@whocanibe2day more assumptions - as I'm sure you're aware, since you're so much more informed than me, the NHS is horribly underfunded. I would love it if our government would consider a partially paid at the point of use system as it might mean I could see my favoured GP without waiting a month, or be seen at A&E with a broken limb without waiting five hours.

Contrary to what you may believe, I was just interested and thankful to the posters who explained the system - I've learnt something new. I've also been reminded how hostile some people can be over frankly pathetic things, so thanks for that too.

Not another row, looks like someone else will end up in A&E if this keeps up.