Beacon Hospital confirms agreements are in place with Vhi, Irish Life Health and Laya Healthcare to cover patients for pre-admission Covid-19 tests
28th July 2020 – Beacon Hospital has today confirmed that it has successfully negotiated agreements with all three private health insurance companies which will ensure that all Beacon Hospital patients will have the cost of their pre-admission Covid-19 test covered by their insurer.
Vhi, Irish Life Health and Laya Healthcare have all confirmed that they will cover the cost of the test for Beacon Hospital patients in the future while those who have attended in recent weeks will be reimbursed what they paid, by the hospital.
Beacon Hospital is the first private hospital in the country to have successfully negotiated an agreement with all three major insurers on behalf of its patients.
In line with National Guidelines from the HSE, some patients at Beacon Hospital are tested for COVID-19 prior to admission to the hospital. These include patients attending for surgery under general anaesthetic, those that are identified in the higher risk categories and those that will be admitted to the hospital for overnight stays.
Beacon Hospital’s incoming patients in the relevant categories are being tested in the hospital’s new state-of-the-art Covid-19 Screening Suite. This new facility, developed with an investment of €500,000, provides the highest quality swab and antibody tests available on the market.
Michael Cullen, CEO of Beacon Hospital said:
“The priority at all times for Beacon Hospital is the health and safety of our patients and staff. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have reinforced and introduced a number of enhanced safety measures, including pre-admission Covid-19 tests for certain patients in line with national guidelines. While the tests are imperative, we are delighted to have secured agreements on behalf of our patients which will ensure that our partners in the private health insurance sector will cover the cost of tests deemed clinically necessary.”
Beacon Hospital has also announced that members of the public, as well as patients that fall outside the categories listed, can avail of the new state of the art testing facility to have a Covid-19 swab test and antibody test.
- It will be open to the general public from August 1st for those who wish to be screened for Covid-19.
- People who wish to avail of the service do not need to be symptomatic, or may, for example, display mild symptoms.
- If they are not a Beacon Hospital patient within the relevant category for pre-admission screening, they will be required to pay the €250 fee for their test as it will not be covered by insurance.
- The Clinic will be open Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm, by appointment only.
- Contact details for the Covid Testing Clinic are:
- Email: covidtesting@beaconhospital.ie
- Phone: 01 293 8688
Michael Cullen continued:
“While much progress has been made in the containment of the Covid-19 virus, the risk of contagion within the community remains a real and valid threat. We are therefore delighted to be able to now provide increased access to safe and reliable testing for those who are concerned.”