From this article you will find out:

• What is the hip replacement surgery and how COVID-19 has affected waiting time in Ireland
• What is the cost of hip replacement in Ireland
• What is your alternative to the local private treatment if the waiting time with the HSE is too long
• How you can get fully reimbursed for the hip replacement abroad under the so called EU Cross Border Directive

Hip Replacement in Ireland – waiting lists after Covid-19:

Total Hip Replacement is a highly successful surgery in which parts of the hip joint damaged by osteoarthritis are replaced with prostheses (implants). It is necessary for individuals experiencing persistent hip pain diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis, where medical images reveal a lack of joint space, and the non-invasive methods could not help.

The surgery takes about one and a half hours, and the physiotherapy should start about 24 hours post surgery.

After a successful operation and proper physiotherapy, patients with hip replacement are able to get back to daily activities, low-impact sports such as biking, walking, swimming, golf etc. Most importantly, this surgery helps patients to get back to their painless and active life.

However, to really benefit from the total hip replacement procedure, you would need to follow your physiotherapy protocol and follow the consultants’ and surgeons’ recommendations.

Since the pandemic impacted negatively on many orthopaedic patients, but also led to cancelled outpatient appointments, investigations and surgeries, visits with orthopaedic consultants were conducted on the phone, and hospitals were busy with Covid-19 patients, the waiting lists and backlogs grew enormously.

Waiting times differ from clinic to clinic, however, it may get over to several years. We know people, whose hip replacement surgeries were cancelled already 3 times, and the new dates are given somewhere in the unknown future. Given the lengthy HSE waiting lists for hip replacement surgery in Ireland, the alternative is to go privately. Below we explain the approximate cost of hip replacement in a private clinic and what are potential alternatives.

What is the cost of hip replacement in Ireland?

Typically, the hip replacement cost in Ireland is up to € 14,000. That would usually include hospital fees + ceramic hip implant and only 2 days in the hospital.

The cost of the private hip replacement abroad in other European Union country may be more competitive and thanks to the so called Cross Boarder Directive you can be fully reimbursed by the HSE (read further to learn more). For example, private hip replacement in Poland with the diagnostics package, 14 days stay in the hospital, daily physiotherapy, care and full board in Poland is approximately 10 400 EUR.

Many clinics do not show the price on their websites, so undergoing a qualification process and occasionally privately paying for a consultant’s visit may be necessary to obtain a cost estimate.

When comparing the prices it is important to note that very often some of the costs like fee for hospital stay or implant price are given separately to the procedure price.

Proper physiotherapy is also a crucial step to the surgery success (some say it is 50%), hence aiming for a package with physiotherapy included can be highly beneficial for the patient. Many hospitals would offer 2 days post-operative stay followed by the discharge with recommendations on how to self-manage the postoperative pain, and a leaflet with exercises to do at home.

In many cases patients would struggle to manage their physiotherapy at home, which can lead to reducing the outcomes of the treatment. This is why, at Eurotreatmed, we provide comprehensive packages, offering 14 days of physiotherapy and a hospital stay immediately following surgery.

Going for a hip replacement abroad – Can I get reimbursement for a private hip replacement surgery?

If you are on the long waiting list for public hip replacement surgery, there is an alternative. As a citizen of Ireland, a member of the European Union, you are entitled to reimbursed treatment in a private hospital abroad (in the EU).

In many cases GPs do not mention it, and sometimes they are not even aware of this option. Our patients who received full reimbursement from the HSE have often researched this possibility by themselves, or a friend or family member who has already gone through it before gave advice.

What is more, since the HSE reimbursement rate for a Hip Replacement is around €10,967 it may cover the whole treatment cost in a private facility abroad.

As mentioned before for hip replacement in Poland the surgery price with diagnostics package, 14 days stay in the hospital, daily physiotherapy, care and full board in Poland would cost approximately 10 400 EUR.

The HSE reimbursement cannot cover the cost of the flight ticket the only cost that you need to cover out of your pocket is the flight ticket (around 100 EUR roundtrip)

The downside is that under the EU scheme, you would need to pay this amount upfront in a private hospital abroad, and you will be reimbursed by the HSE after submitting the whole relevant paperwork (hospital discharge, invoice, and additional forms). At Eurotreatmed we help you to get through the reimbursement process.

How to get a cost reimbursement for a private hip replacement surgery abroad when living in Ireland?

In order to get reimbursement from the HSE there are some steps you would need to follow, including submitting a proper form, asking your GP for a referral, and arranging your treatment with a Polish surgeon. We walk you through the process, help with paperwork, and arrange everything from the logistics side, so after getting out of the plane in Poland there is nothing you need to worry about.

You may think that a two-week stay post-surgery is quite long, but when speaking with our Patients, they highly stress the importance of a prolonged stay under medical care, hospital pain management, daily sessions with an experienced physiotherapist, and the comfort of recovering in a place, where you have a someone to change your dressing, help you get out of the bed, check on your hip.

In the hospital, you have a special bed with automatic position adjustment, where you stay until the moment of stitches removal, and the bathroom is adjusted to the needs of patients after the hip replacement surgery.

If you have questions about the possibility of undergoing the EU Directive Scheme and applying for a hip replacement surgery reimbursement for treatment in a private hospital in Poland, please do not hesitate to contact us directly:

Fill in the form below to check if you are eligible for a private surgery abroad reimbursement:

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