Newspaper Article

Private A&E departments: what's the deal?

Reddan, Fiona

2016

Overview

  [Brian Fitzgerald] says it is \"rare\" that a patient who needs a bed would not get one that day, while a Blackrock Clinic spokesman says there would be beds available \"most of the time\". Laya Health says that for patients admitted to a private A&E, more than 90 per cent of its schemes offer some level of cover for private hospitals. With Aviva, its Level 2 and above plans typically provide a level of cover towards private hospital care. For example, the popular Aviva Select Plus Plan, which costs 854, has cover for a private room in selected private hospitals at the Beacon Hospital subject to 150 excess per claim. The insurer's top Level 5 plan, Optimise Platinum, which has an annual cost of 5,687, has full cover for a private room in a private or high-tech hospital. If you don't have insurance, you can opt to be admitted on a \"self-pay\" basis. At the Beacon for example, typical room charges start at 800 a night, and the hospital is planning a significant self-pay campaign. Fitzgerald estimates about 10 per cent of its patients now either pay for themselves, or cover the excess on a health insurance policy.

• Publisher: The Irish Times Ltd
• Subject: Fitzgerald, Brian