MagicMum.com

This is a long one, and its the second time I have typed it out so even angrier. My ds has speech delay had grommits when he was 2 and improved his speech brilliantly. The consultant at the time, said he would look at his tonsils when he was 3 but the consultant retired and it was the summer and all was well, so I just forgot about it. Then September this year his grommits are gone and his hearing crashed badly. Got a referral to a new consultant and he felt tonsils and adenoids had to go. This was the week before halloween or a day or two before, cause all the kids that day in the clinic were in fancy dress.

Consultant operates in Temple Street and Mount Carmel, and advised me to check my cover and take it from there. Now I had had family plan, and in January 2011 upgraded to One plan. Family plan covers me for a private room in a public hospital, and 50% of the cost of the room in a private hospital. One plan covers 100% of the cost of the private hospital. Went to VHI they said I was covered under one plan if it was not preexisting, but family if it was.. Spoke to my GP and he felt it wasnt preexisting, but the consultant said VHI are really really really picky at the moment, and they could query. To save any uncertainty and unwanted bills I choose Temple Street.

I phoned re the list in November and they said December or January, and I asked also to be put on the cancellation list. I got a date for 27th January, and I booked a week off work and dh booked the second week to look after my son. The op was cancelled on the day, I phoned they apologised, I accepted the reasons, (no beds) and again asked about cancellations, they said he had been taken off the cancellation list as he had a definite date. Was annoyed but let it go, and asked to be put back on, the girl said they had had lots of cancellations due to chicken pox. I asked to be put back on cancellation list and was told he was second. I got another date for Monday gone, got a phone call on Friday confirming. Once again prepared my son for the stay, and once again they bloody cancelled on Monday morning. I had my son crying again cause he was mentally prepared and now its all off.

I phoned and the NEXT available date they can offer me is May 22nd or 23rd May, ffs, that means lots have gone ahead of him. I am furious, cant see why he doesn't just automatically get the next slot.

Then I phoned VHI, and it turns out those feckers will be paying the same to either TS or MC, so really it makes no bloody difference to them where he is operated on cause the cost is the same. But nobody there has the intelligence or integrity to make the decision to allow the op go ahead in Mount Carmel, cause he doesnt comply with the terms and conditions, or in other words "COMPUTER SAYS F@@@@@g NO". I actually cried when i spoke to them and discovered no difference in cost just as they said a technicality. She added I was fully covered in TS under both plans for a private room, at which I exploded and said you cant get a bloody bed in TS never mind a private room!!!

Then I rang the place that used to be treatment purchase fund and according to them the waiting times for tonsils in temple street is 2 months, - yeah right, and also my son isnt on their list cause he is private.
I have wasted 2 weeks leave, my son is practically deaf has been put back to the end of a q, and my "health" insurance is f@@@@ing crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I don't know what to say. Big hugs to you

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AVON Rep for Galway & South Mayo.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this, I can't imagine how distressed you are about your DS's health.I feel your pain re: the health insurance also, I saw a consultant in Mat*r private as my GP thought he was the best person to see and when I get there it turns out my health insurance will only cover 35% of the cost of the surgery and the anaesth and consultant fees were extra, 6.5K extra in total !!! Where does someone just find that kinda moeny without borrowing !!l. The secretay in M basically told me to ring my insurance company and start shopping round for my surgery to see where I was covered !!!!So i had to get back on the train to cork, cried my eyes out in a quiet seat and f*cked some poor soul working for Aviva out of it cos they had told me 2 days earlier I was covered for everything in the mater........everything except what I needed done !!

I would keep on ringing them, I know you're going to do that anyway.........pester, pester, pester....thats how i managed to get an appointment with this consultant and a surgery date, with the help of letters from my GP, I got a fone call agian today that it might be going ahead friday....but nothing definite...again DH on standby to take time off and Parents in law on standby in a different province if we need them also.

Its a balls of a healthcare system, I reckon the private ehalthcare business is gonna collapse in this country soon, the consultants are mostly dependant on theatre slots in public hospitals which they are jsut not getting and the insurance companies are loath to pay the private hospitals and are finding anyways they can to get out of paying private...... !!!

I hope you get a resolution soon, and your DS feels better, but I suspect it will be down to your perseverance rather than the healthcare system coming thro for you. Good Luck.

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DD1 4
DD2 2
DS Brand New !!

Not sure it's of use to you but My Dd has recurring tonsillitis so just got referral for ENT two weeks ago, my preference was to go to Crumlin as I'm in and out of there so often with my Ds, anyway it's a 12-18 moth wait so rang The hermitage and going private, the initial consultation is next week and will cost €200 but VHI covers the rest.
So if you want and you are able to pay the initial fee it is worth it.

The health system here is a joke.

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