Health Insurance Coverage for Residents Only?

Health insurance in Europe is not free, particularly not in Ireland! Every country has it's own rules, but generally you have to pay for an insurance first to get any benefits.

In Ireland you have to pay for any treatment anyway, unless you have a medical card which you get as a resident under certain circumstances, certainly not for a three months stay as a tourist. You can have private health insurance, but again not for three months and as a tourist. There is a certain time you have to wait until the insurance is valid.

In emergencies, like accidents, they won't let you die on the road, of course. But otherwise you have to pay the doctor/dentist or whatever you need.

A travel health insurance from the US might help, if you have something like that over there.

Get a travel insurance in US covering you for medical costs abroad. Other than emergency tratement in A&E, you will be charged private patient fee for any other medical costs.

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<hr>Some people have told me that health insurance is free in Europe<hr></blockquote> These people must live on the moon. It can be very very expensive. Be sure to take an insurance before leaving.

Even if you have travel/health insurance from home, it likely won't refund you all of the expenses you might incur while in Ireland. I submitted receipts to my insurance plan in Canada and got about 1/4 back of what I paid in medical bills for regular doctors visits and prescriptions.

Be prepared to pay a minimum fee of €40 just to get in the door at a doctor's office in Dublin. Prescriptions vary, but I found them to be quite expensive (i.e. the same price if not higher than they are in Canada, except in Euros instead of dollars).

Screw travel insurance, I advise you NOT to get sick.

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<hr>Screw travel insurance, I advise you NOT to get sick.<hr></blockquote>

HA, yeah I have a friend who spent about 5 months in Europe and she said that travel insurance was a crock. So should I just go over there with out any sort of coverage in hopes that I don't get seriously ill, and try to stock up on as many prescriptions here as I can? That just seems scary, but what companies or coverage out there for tourists is actually legit??

No, no...I definitely think you should still get some travel insurance. I'm just saying that I could do it again, I would have got straight insurance and not worried about the extended medical coverage, as my insurer didn't really want to pay me back everything I was out of pocket.

If you have prescriptions you take on a regular basis, DEFINITELY go buy 6 months or a year's worth before you get to Ireland. And seriously, just don't walk against the traffic lights because there's a strong chance you'll get hit by a bus and end up in hospital....lol. Sorry, just had to add that.

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<hr>Some people have told me that health insurance is free in Europe<hr></blockquote>

Medical treatment in the UK is free for UK residents. Of course, we pay for it by means of our taxes.

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<hr>HA, yeah I have a friend who spent about 5 months in Europe and she said that travel insurance was a crock. So should I just go over there with out any sort of coverage in hopes that I don't get seriously ill<hr></blockquote>

There is a competitive market for insurance. Perhaps your friend failed to read the details of the policy she bought, and ended up with useless insurance. Some policies, however, are excellent.

And for obvious reasons you should not think of coming here without some kind of medical insurance. Sh*t really does happen sometimes.