Working, Living & Travelling In Ireland

Category: Insurance & HealthCare

  • Are you due a refund from Revenue.ie ?

    Are you due a refund from Revenue.ie ?

    If you are reading this in January you are probably trying to figure out if there are ways to help you get over a super long month … maybe you are due a refund from revenue.ie ? Or maybe you are reading this and you are new to the Irish PAYE system, or maybe you have never claimed before and you have decided to up your game a little( yes, a deposit for your dream holiday could be on the cards!!)

    Looking for Cycle Trails in South Galway, check out the loops I have documented so far here !

    I recently did my ITR (Income Tax Return) on-line, and was pleasantly surprised I was due a refund from revenue.ie! The good part was, it was quite easy and it took only 3 days to get the refund from revenue.ie  in my account.Read on to find out if you are due a refund from revenue.ie by doing your Income Tax returns ( ITR) online for the previous year(s). I say years as if you have never done an Income Tax Return before ,you can go back 4 years. Hurray 🙂 Wouldn’t be nice to get a refund from revenue.ie ?

    Groundwork to do before you start the refund claim process

    I know, you are itching to press buttons who doesn’t want to find out if they are due a refund from revenue.ie … let’s get organized 🙂 Before you even start registering,  to find out if you are due a refund from Irish Revenue, I would do the following groundwork! 

    Start collecting all your bills :

    ->>Medical bills ( Doctor’s bill and health Insurance bills) , Tuition charges, nursing charges and if you are working remotely, your Broadband and Energy bills

    >>Put them in a physical folder and take a picture of them if you haven’t got them electronically already.

    ->> If you are all new to this, I would recommend you start an online bills folder in Google Photos or any other solution such as DropBox or Microsoft One Drive.

    TIP : I use Google Photos a lot, and as soon as I take a picture, it gets uploaded to my Google Photos account. To find out how to set that up on your phone, click here and select Android or Iphone. Once you have the picture, you will then be able to upload it to the Receipt Tracker on revenue.ie and any other places you may need to receipt to claim a refund.

    Luckily these days many of the bills already come in electric format, so it’s just a matter then to download the document so you can then upload it on the revenue.ie website, so you can claim your refund. Particularly for medical bills, you may need to upload it multiple times to claim a refund, more about that later.

    So where do you start to find out if you are due a refund from Irish Revenue?

    Register at revenue.ie – Check out this video 

    There are a number of videos on their Youtube Channel that will help you to find out if you are due a refund from Irish Revenue and detailed instructions for various situations.

    Select to do your Income Tax return ( Automatic)

    If you haven’t claimed for 2021/2020 yet, you’ll see an option in the portal that offers you an automatic calculation of your Tax Return, based on the details they already know such as your salary and your tax credits. (not including medical expenses)

    Did you know :

    • If due to covid ( or any other reason), you were unemployed in 2020/2021 and got a new job since, you are very likely due a refund from revenue.ie  The reason is that the monthly tax-free allowance assumes you work the full year. If therefore you only worked 20%, you are due a prorated refund from revenue.ie Keep on reading to find out how you can increase your refund.
    • If you were so lucky to get married in 2021, you may well be due a refund too from revenue.ie ( more holiday money 🙂 

    Check out this video that gives you all the steps !

    Have you Checked your Tax Credits, Reliefs and Exemptions.

    There are all kinds of ways to reduce your tax bill through a tax credit, a relief and an exemption. The explanation of each can be found here. To find out what you can claim for, check out this article.

    Have you added all our Health/Medical Expenses, you may well be due a refund from revenue.ie 

    In the past, claiming health expenses involved a cumbersome process of filling in a Med1 form you had to return by Post. A new feature has been added recently for Health expenses! They can be claimed now through your Income Tax (IT) return, making it that much easier to get a refund from Irish Revenue, using the Receipt tracker. Check out below video on how to use the new receipt tracker .

    Find out about Health Insurance Premiums that either you or your employer pay and the reliefs where available. Particularly when your employer pays your health insurance, you may not be aware that you can claim a tax relief, as you are getting taxed at source for receiving this Benefit in Kind. You’ll need to go quite detailed and specify the contribution that is made per member of your family, all to be found in the policy of your Health Insurance Provider. Health insurance can run into a few thousand euros a year, so it’s worth doing it.

    Don’t forget, If you have been/are going to the doctor, ask for a receipt. This receipt will come in handy when you do your Income Tax Return, regardless of whether you have health insurance or not. I say doctor, but there are many other health expenses that qualify, check out this article for more details.

    Question : My employer pays for my health Insurance, and I have a consultant’s receipt for 150 Euros.  I uploaded it with my insurer and they paid me 75 Euros. What do I do next?

    Answer : Use the same receipt, upload it on the receipt tracker on the website of revenue.ie Add a new claim by clicking on “manage your Tax 2022” >Add a new Credit > health >expand all >Select Health Expenses >> enter Gross relief( total amount you paid) >> Add your receipt.

    You will then come to a screen where you can specify the total amount, amount claimed elsewhere and the amount you wish to claim for. It is in that box you enter  ( in this example) 75 Euros.

    Nursing care expenses to consider

    If you or your spouse or civil partner need nursing home care, there are schemes you can apply for.

    Nursing Home Expenses Relief  You can claim tax relief on the nursing home expenses you pay for.

    • Nursing Home (Fair Deal) Loan Scheme :   The Nursing Home, or Fair Deal Loan Scheme is run by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The scheme offers financial support to  people who need long-term nursing home care. See the Nursing home (Fair Deal) Loan Scheme section for more information.
    • Exemption relating to medical expenses of incapacitated persons : You may be permanently incapacitated due to physical or mental illness. If you are, any gift or inheritance you receive to pay your medical expenses is exempt from Gift and Inheritance Tax. This can include the cost of your nursing home care.

    You can learn more about this exemption in Exemption for qualifying expenses related to physical or intellectual disability.

    Are you availing of (all)  Flat Rate Expenses ?

    Do take a look at the Flat Rate Expenses you may qualify for a flat rate expense that increases your tax credit. Whether you are a teacher, a radiographer, a shop assistant, a plumber/welder, a member of the philharmonic orchestra,  nearly all hotel-related jobs, your job is associated with a flat rate expense you can apply for. 

    Remote Working Relief ( E-Working), you may well be due a refund from revenue.ie

    Some employers pay their remote employees a daily amount. This is however not a benefit an employer has to pay. It’s worth to enquire with the HR Department if your company offers this “additional” benefit.

    For all other remote employees, you can claim a percentage for broadband and energy expenses.

    Until recently, you could only claim at the end of the year, and as the amounts are low, it was a big effort to collect all the bills and upload them. So really, a pain in the neck if you ask me. 

    Fast forward to 2022 and there are a few changes… the energy percentage was only 10%, this has been increased to 30% in budget 2022. With rising energy costs, this is one to keep in mind.  You can upload your bills as you get them in the receipt tracker  in your account ( The app has been deactivated) and the credit gets applied instantly ( so you will see a small increase in your salary) aka “ Instant Credits” Or see it as a small bonus you’ll get in January if you do your tax return then, the choice is yours 🙂

    Education : Tuition charges

    Are you upskilling by learning a foreign language or improving your IT skills? 

    Tuition fees paid 3rd level education

    Follow this link to find out how you can claim and approved courses and colleges 

    You can claim tax relief on qualifying fees (including the student contribution) that you have paid for third level education courses. The qualifying fees must be paid for an approved course at an approved college.

    The maximum amount you can claim is €7,000 per course, per person, per academic year. 

    Each claim is subject to a single disregard amount of €3,000 or €1,500 each tax year.

    The first €3,000 is disregarded for of a full-time student or €1,500 for of a part-time student. If you have paid fees for more that one student, this disregard amount will only be deducted from your claim once.

    Good luck doing your tax returns, and hope you are getting a refund!

    Katleen 

     

     

  • New dental and optical benefits kicking in today!

    New dental and optical benefits kicking in today!

    Hello readers,

    It’s been a while  since I wrote my last  article about the Homecoming of the Galway Seniors and the cycle on the now opened new motorway, so I thought I’d keep you updated  with some new dental and optical benefits that are kicking in today. Really? New benefits? Oh, tell me more!

    The benefits I am referring to are under the Treatment Benefit Scheme. This is a scheme run by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) that provides dental, optical and aural services to qualified people.

    So what’s new?

    From today, 28th of October following benefits kick in:

    Dental Benefit

    A payment of €42 towards either a scale and polish or – if clinically necessary – periodontal treatment, is also available once a calendar year. If the cost of either cleaning or periodontal treatment is more than €42, you must pay the balance – capped at €15 for a scale and polish. There is no cap on the balance charged for periodontal treatment

    Optical Benefit

    From today onwards, you can get a payment, once every second calendar year, towards either one pair each of reading and distance spectacles or one pair of bifocal or varifocals. Cost will vary depending on the frames you choose. Basic frames are free. If you choose more expensive frames, the Department will pay €42 towards them and you pay the balance. If you need contact lenses on medical grounds, the Department will pay half the cost up to a maximum of €500 provided you have a doctor’s recommendation. This applies to a small number of eye conditions that make wearing glasses impossible. Disposable lenses are covered under the scheme. Contact lenses are not available on purely optical or cosmetic grounds.

    For a more detailed breakdown and how to qualify, check out this article on the Citizensadvice website.

    As it happens, I only recently bought new glasses. I went to the opticians( Specsavers), got my free eye test , and as the optician was reviewing my file, he says, so, it’s been 10 years(!) you’ve been in this branch. Where have you gotten your glasses since? Well, actually, these are still the glasses from 10 years ago – he said he’d never come across that before 🙂 ( okay, they were literally falling apart). So I got myself new glasses and prescriptive sunglasses. I think I am going to treat myself to another pair, I deserve it!

    In other news, If you have been following my Working, Living, Travelling in Ireland Facebook Page , you might have noticed I started a new page, called Galway Job Connector, come and say hello.

    Galway Job Connector – From outsider to insider

    If you are interested to learn more about the Galway Job Market, who is recruiting,what skills Galway companies are looking for,  jobs advertised in the City centre,  job announcements, insights and tips, sign up to my free newsletter. I’ll be publishing my next newsletter tomorrow, so sign up today, to get last week’s ( first) newsletter.

    Happy Halloween!

    Katleen
    PS. Remember the clocks go back, one hour longer in bed:)
    PPS. Hope you are enjoying the long weekend this Halloween, only 57 days to Christmas!

     

     

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  • Hayes Vegetables Gort – Catherine Hayes: #SmallBusinessinterview West of Ireland

    Hayes Vegetables Gort – Catherine Hayes: #SmallBusinessinterview West of Ireland

    Hello all,

    It’s time  for another #smallbusinessinterview  in the West Of Ireland!! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Catherine Hays from Hays Vegetables. I met Catherine for the first time last year at the Summer Market and I can see she’s going from strength to strength. I arrived home quite late on Thursday, and decided to head to Gort on Friday morning ( before heading back to bed) to pick up some fresh vegetables. I love making soup, and picked up potatoes, leeks, onions and some home baked bread from her stall. I can’t wait now to make some wholesome soup :).

    In case this is your first visit to my blog, I have started to interview #smallbusiness in the West of Ireland, as I’d like to give them a helping hand to make them shine and also show to the outside  world what the West of Ireland has to offer.

    Please share this interview, as I’d like to start a small movement to highlight the brilliant businesses in the West of Ireland!  If you would like to be interviewed, please drop me an email to katleen@workinglivingtravellinginireland.com and I’ll be in touch.

    Connect with me on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook!

    So far I have interviewed following businesses :

    Quickest Fox Marketing  Earthwise Micro Biz Awards Dutch Bakery ziplines.ie Meetthewool.com jclearn.ie

    I always ask to supply me with a few pictures ( or if you have a video, even better). Catherine gave me a few pictures, and I made a small video using Google Photos.

     Tell us a bit about yourself & where you are located in the West of Ireland.

    My name is Catherine Hayes & I grew up on a dairy farm just outside of Gort, Co. Galway. I am currently running a market garden business ( free from chemicals) on some land 2 km from Gort and selling my produce at GortFridayMarket every Friday morning.
     
    How did you get started in this business?
     
    I started growing properly about 1.5 years ago (January 2015) and my first market in Gort was July 2015. Previous to this I had studied analytical science to PhD level & had spent a number of years working in research in Sweden as well as Ireland. At some stage I decided I wanted to come home & managed to find a position that would suit me. As circumstances would have it, on returning to Ireland the position fell through & I found myself at a loose end. I decided to take a year out from science & try something new. I got a place as an intern on BeechlawnOrganicFarm in Ballinasloe and remained there for 1.5 years (till Nov 2015) when I took up my own enterprise full time. At present I am also attending a Market Garden Course run by Jim Cronin in Bridgetown Co. Clare to improve my skills in this area, with a view to expanding my business and market.
     
    How do the social, economic, environmental, technological, legal and political environments impact your business?
     
    It’s hard for me to comment on outside influences on my business as I am not very long “in the game” but if I were to guess the main influences would be social & environmental – people need a certain amount of disposable income to buy fresh vegetables, and its hard to compete with the loss-leaders that the multinational supermarkets advertise on a weekly basis. However environmental issues are making people more aware of what they are consuming & more concerned about buying vegetables that have been grown without the use of chemicals.
     
    Do you know who your competitors are?
     
    At present in Gort the main competitors are the large supermarkets – however I do believe that a certain amount of competition is necessary & if anything people are becoming more aware of naturally grown, organic vegetables and this raises demand.
     
    How do you market your business? How are people aware of your business? 
     
    I market my business in two ways at present – FaceBook & word of mouth. I have an active FaceBook page for my stall HayesVegGort & GortFridayMarket, where i post at least twice weekly, with my product range, recipes or updates on how things are going on the farm. But I also find that in a rural community such as Gort, word of mouth is very powerful. I have numerous customers who come & say “I heard you had lovely carrots” or something like that. So consistently good quality & good customer service are working for me as well at present.
     
    Any special things planned for 2016 or further ahead?
     
    I hope to expand in the next year or two. At present I have one large polytunnel (20 ft x 64 ft) and about 1/4 acre of outside veg – this will grow to another large tunnel & maybe another 1/4 to 1/2 acre outside. In 5 years I hope to maybe have grown to 3/4 tunnels & also have one full time person in employment. In 10 years – hard to say, but i should have a very successful veg (and possibly fruit) business with perhaps a shop.
     
    Do you plan to compete in the global market place? If yes, how? If no, why not?
     
    The global market is not a viable option for me as my product is perishable, but I can envisage competing on a national scale within Ireland.
     
    How has technology, such as computers and the internet, impacted on how you conduct business?
     
    Computers, technology etc are very important to me, in all aspects: communications, marketing, sales, record-keeping, finance, research etc. Overall technology is an integral part of my business. Working outside (or inside in the tunnel on a rainy day).
     
    What do you love about the area you live in/do business in?
     
    The satisfaction of seeing something grow, of sitting down to a meal of my produce. I also love the interaction with the public at the market – its my favourite part of the week. The people of Gort & the surrounding area have been very supportive of me in this venture & they show this support by consistently turning up at the stall every week.
     
    Whom do you seek advice from for your business/ do you meet up with other business owners? If so, where?
     
    I have a network of other organic farmers that i have developed over the course of my internship. I am also in the process of setting up a network of small growers in Ireland specifically to cater for people like me who are starting out or are early-stage. We have already met a few times and are currently setting up a schedule of Farm visits around the country so we can chat about successes & problems on small market garden holdings.
     
    Can you describe your customers & why do they choose you over other suppliers.
    My customer base, geographically is Gort & its hinterlands. I have every age group and social economic background but the thing they have in common is they all seem to appreciate the taste & quality of my produce. They understand that I sell mostly my own veg and I stand over it all, its grown locally without the use of chemicals, and freshly harvested for the market. It is a physically demanding job.

     

    Is this just about planting and harvesting vegetables? What challenges do you face?

    There is also a lot of strategic planning that needs to go into an enterprise like this – for example, April & May are known as the “hungry gap” when the last of the winters crops have finished but the summer crops aren’t ready – this needs to be planned a year in advance to have crops to sell in this time.  I am at the mercy of the weather – this year, sowing is very late due to the wet spring that we’ve been having.
     
    What keeps you going, when the chips are down?
     
    When I get down, I either take a walk through my crops or look at photos from last year, especially my tomato plants – that’s enough to make me want to do it all over again this year!!
     
    Do you support local charities? If so which is your favourite charity and why?
     
    At present I am involved in a number of local community groups on a volunteer basis, GaillimhTheasComhalatas and BurrenLowlands. At some stage the stall holders at Gort Friday Market would like to organise a special market day for the town – music, barbecue etc to showcase the market.
     
    Any tips for someone who is thinking of starting their own business?
     
    For someone starting their own business? Believe in yourself – you can do anything you put your mind to.
     
    What did you learn from this interview?
     
    I learned that I have actually achieved quite a lot in a short space of time. Thanks for the interview!!
     

    Please share this interview, as I’d like to start a small movement to highlight the brilliant businesses in the West of Ireland!  If you would like to be interviewed, please drop me an email to katleen@workinglivingtravellinginireland.com and I’ll be in touch.

    Twitter : @ecotreasure, Find me on Facebook

    Katleen

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  • Free GP Care for under 6s in Ireland, where to register & check if your GP participates

    Free GP Care for under 6s in Ireland, where to register & check if your GP participates

    Hi all,

    If you haven’t heard it yet, the Irish government has introduced Free GP( General practitioner) care for children under 6. This is great news! With the GP Visit Card Under 6s your child will get free GP visits, assessments at age 2 and 5 and care for children with asthma from July 1st 2015.

    Free GP Care for under 6 year olds Ireland
    Free GP Care for under 6s  Ireland

    To avail of this service, register your child here. Although the uptake of GP’s participating is quite high, you can check here if your GP participates in the scheme.

    Cheers,

    Katleen

     

     

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  • When renewing your insurance is not like 123

    When renewing your insurance is not like 123

    Hi all,

    A few weeks ago my heart skipped a beat when I realized that I was driving around without car insurance. The reason I hadn’t renewed was because I was not sent the usual paperwork to renew my insurance. I then contacted the broker I have been with for the last 10 years to discover that since they were taken over by another company, they no longer send out a physical document, and sent me an email reminder instead.  Unfortunately the email they had was incorrect, and on top of all that, the email didn’t bounce, so after sending me one email and then a follow email, nothing further was done…. and I was driving around without car insurance.
    I quickly obtained a quote from both www.123.ie and www.chill.ie and in the end I got my car insurance through www.chill.ie . I was very impressed with their customer service – they rang me to check if I had any questions and received their documentation. I then received a  text they had received all my paperwork, and then I received a text to let me know that my tax disk had been issued and that it was on its way.
    So check your insurance policy( ies) as you may no longer receive physical paperwork to remind you that your policy is about to expire!
    Cheers,
    Katleen
    PS… I wrote another blogpost about finding (cheap) car insurance, you can find it here.

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  • Health insurance in Ireland – players in the Irish Market

    Hi all,

    Just a quick post on Health Insurance in Ireland.

    Check out this  this article in Wikipedia about Health Insurance in Ireland, it gives a good overview of how it all works in Ireland.

    Another website I would recommend you bookmark is called citizensinformation.
    Variety of subjects covered, health care in Ireland being one of them. Please check this article !
    Although less “official”, do have a look at Boards , as you’ll find you are not alone in having questions about your plan, provider, costs.

    If you are looking to buy Health Insurance in Ireland, there are a few players in the market:

    The Voluntary Health Insurance Board (VHI)
    is the largest (and oldest)provider of voluntary private health insurance.
    Laya Healthcare, formerly QUINN-healthcare,
    Hibernian Aviva,
    GloHealth 
    HSF Health Plan( Hospital Saturday Fund) – more info here

    There is a  another great informative website that allows you to compare plans, check providers etc.
    I would recommend you check it out The Health Insurance Authority. 
    It seems 2014 is the year that all the various providers are increasing their prices, so it’s in your  own interest to shop around. I have heard stories of people ringing  their current provider and slashing hundreds off their renewal price, so do sit down and call your current provider.
    Hope this is helpfull!
    Cheers,
    Katleen

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  • Shopping for the best insurance deal in Ireland?

    Shopping for the best insurance deal in Ireland?

    Hi all,
    It’s been a while since my last post, between holidays, work and family time , I just haven’t had a moment!
    I’ll keep posting bits and pieces that are good to know!
    A few weeks ago, I received my renewal documents from my broker http://www.insure.ie for my car insurance, being 335 Euros. When I didn’t renew, I received a phone call, and in that phonecall, when I asked if that was the best they could do, they knocked off a few Euros, so I was down to 315 Euros.
    I have been using this broker for many years now, as they do the shopping and comparing for me, and saves me ringing around the various insurers.
    And then I thought, let’s shop around with other brokers, and see if I can bring it down even more.
    I contacted following companies by going to their websitses and obtain quotes.
    All their quotes were higher, with the exception of http://www.123.ie, who offered, after adding my husband as a named driver, a rate of 292.5 Euros. I then called http://www.insure.ie and they nearly matched it, being 295 Euros.

    I’ll have to do the same exercise for our house insurance, stay tuned!

    Katleen

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  • European Health Insurance card ( aka form E111)

    Dear Readers,

    If you are an Irish resident, and intend to travel abroad, I’d recommend you check out if you have a valid EHIC. If you are intending on visiting  Ireland, at the bottom of this post, you can read the benefits of carrying the card with you when visiting Ireland.

    What is thet European Health Insurance Card

    The European Health Insurance Card or EHIC (fornerly the E111 form) allows the holder to access health care services when travelling to other EU or EEA countries. Anyone who is living in Ireland or intends to live here for a year can apply for an EHIC from the HSE.

    As an Irish resident you are entitled to get healthcare through the public system in countries of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland if you become ill or injured while on a temporary stay there.
    Until now, you needed an E form – such as the E111 or the E128 – to get such treatment. Now, these paper forms are being replaced by the European Health Insurance Card. One Card is needed for each individual or member of the family.
    The Card was introduced on 1 June 2004. It means that you can get necessary healthcare in the public system of any EU / EEA country or Switzerland, if you become ill or injured while on a temporary stay in that country.
    Apply for the European Health Insurance Card if you:

    • Plan to go on holiday to another EU / EEA country or Switzerland
    • Regularly visit any of these countries, for example, on business, as a transport worker or for leisure
    • Plan to go to any of these countries to seek work
    • Are being sent by your employer to work in any of these countries temporarily but will continue to pay tax in Ireland
    • Intend to undertake a course of study in any of these countries but still consider yourself as ordinarily resident in Ireland
    • Intend to visit any of these countries for any other type of temporary stay where healthcare in itself is not the aim of the visit

    Travelling to Great Britain or Northern Ireland
    You don’t need a European Health Insurance Card to get necessary healthcare while on a temporary visit to the UK. It is enough to show proof that you are ordinarily resident in Ireland – in practice, this means a driving licence, passport or similar document.

    EU member states
    Austria
    Belgium
    Bulgaria
    Cyprus
    Czech Republic
    Denmark
    Estonia
    Finland
    France
    Germany
    Greece
    Hungary
    Italy
    Latvia
    Lithuania
    Luxembourg
    Malta
    Netherlands
    Poland
    Portugal
    Romania
    Slovakia
    Slovenia
    Spain
    Sweden
    UK (the Card is not essential for access to necessary healthcare in the UK – proof of residency in Ireland is sufficient)
    Other EEA member states

    Iceland
    Liechtenstein
    Norway

    Other states
    Switzerland

    To apply for one :
    http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/EHIC/apply/Apply_for_EHIC.html

    To renew one :
    https://www.sspcrs.ie/ehic/e111info.jsp

    If you are VISITING Ireland, what can you expect to receive when you have a medical emergency?

    Services available under EU Regulation 1408/71 to holders of the European Health Insurance Card, E111 or equivalent during a temporary stay in Ireland
    How do you get treatment from a general practitioner?

    • Contact any general practitioner (GP) who is contracted to the Primary Care Reimbursement Services (PCRS) scheme. More than 2,000 doctors, representing the majority of GPs in Ireland, are contracted to the scheme
    • You can get details of PCRS doctors in your area from the local Health Office. (a list of local Health Offices and the regions they cover is attached, including all contact details)
    • If you are not sure whether the GP is a PCRS doctor, tell him or her that you are seeking treatment under EU regulations
    • General practitioners operate specified hours for surgery visits, and these vary from practice to practice
    • Telephone the GP’s surgery in your area to find out what the surgery hours are.
    • “Out-of-hours” cover is provided at other times; a telephone number for this service is usually provided on the GP’s telephone answering service
    • Treatment is provided free of charge by PCRS doctors to all those who eligible under EU regulations

    How do you get treatment by a specialist?

    • If it is the clinical opinion of the GP that you require treatment by a specialist consultant, you will be given a referral letter by the GP
    • Tell the GP that you want to be treated as a public patient
    • Many consultants in Ireland see patients both publicly and privately; if you see the consultant as a private patient, you will not be covered by EU regulations
    • Treatment by consultants is provided free of charge in the public system to those eligible under EU regulations

    How do you get treatment by a dentist?

    • Emergency dental treatment for the relief of pain and urgent denture repairs are available to those eligible under EU regulations from a dentist contracted to the Local Health Office. Other necessary dental treatment is provided through local Health Office clinics as well as by contracted dentists.
    • If dental treatment becomes necessary, contact the local local Health Office or health centre to get details of contracted dentists or local Health Office clinics. In emergencies, ascertain that the dentist you choose yourself is contracted to the local Health Office to provide services under the PCRS system, and tell him or her that you are seeking treatment under EU regulations.

    Other services
    Certain aural or optical services are available free of charge to those eligible under EU regulations. In line with the arrangements for Irish residents, you should contact the local Health Office in the first instance to access such services.

    How do you get medicines?

    • Prescription medicines must be dispensed by a GP in the public system (PCRS doctor) who will use a special prescription form to indicate to the pharmacist that the medicine is to be provided free of charge

    How do you get hospital treatment?

    • You can go direct to the Accident and Emergency unit of any public hospital if you need treatment of this nature
    • There is no charge for those eligible under EU regulations
    • For scheduled in-patient or out-patient treatment in the public system, you will need to be referred by a GP or specialist consultant contracted to the public system
    • In-patient and outpatient treatment in the public system is provided free of charge to those eligible under EU regulations. Treatment or accommodation as a private or semi-private patient is not covered under EU Regulations.

    How do you get transport to a hospital?

    • Call 999 or 112 in case of immediate need of transport by ambulance to the nearest hospital

    How do you get reimbursement in Ireland?
    Ireland operates a benefit-in-kind healthcare system, so this question does not arise.

    Happy traveling!

    Katleen

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