Medical Insurance in Dublin
Expats will find that health insurance is a contentious subject in Ireland. In theory there is a public health service with free (or almost free) access for EU and EEA residents but reality is that waiting queues encourage people to take out private insurance.
This doesn’t mean that the public health system is of a lower standard; usually you will see the exact same consultant but you see her sooner rather than later.
As discussed here on Expat Arrivals your first stop as an ill person is your local General Practitioner or GP. This appointment usually costs between €50 and €60 with medicine extra.
If something is seriously wrong, he or she will refer you to a hospital. There the choice is usually offered between public and private treatment and is usually based on how serious your illness is. So if you have a broken leg then you could be safely treated in the public system. But if you have a terminal illness, then private treatment is usually recommended.
Like every country, you need to have insurance in place before getting ill as pre-existing conditions are not covered by the major policies.
Irish Health Insurance Companies
- VHI
- Hibernian
- Aviva
- Quinn Healthcare
Before paying, look at the Health Insurance Authority website.
You can input your personal situation and find the best policy for you and your family.
Typical Costs of Irish Health Insurance
Costs for basic individual insurance including semi-private room from:
- €575 with Quinn
- €620 with Hibernian Aviva
- €640 with VHI
Costs for basic family insurance including semi-private room from
- €644 with Quinn
- €680 with VHI
- €720 with Aviva
* Note that you can dramatically change these figures by accepting different rates of excess payment.
* Note a private room under these systems holds five beds not just one.
Most companies will offer a health insurance plan which should cover your family when you move to Ireland. It’s well worth putting their plan through the HIA website to get a clearer idea of what is covered.
