Upon discovering symptoms of possible bowel cancer, Seán, a private in the Defence Forces with two decades of service under his belt, faced an extensive wait for a colonoscopy under public healthcare. Instead of waiting, the serviceman opted to have the procedure done privately in Belfast, which took only a few weeks to sort out. His salary falls slightly above €40,000 per year.
The Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme, put in place post-Brexit to retain EU cross-border healthcare solutions on the island, ultimately had the HSE cover the costs. In a similar situation, when Seán’s young son was facing a wait of 54 months for a procedure, they also chose to go to the North for quicker service, and had the issue resolved in weeks.
The fascinating aspect of these cases is that the PDForra Medical Assistance Scheme (PMAS) coordinated their treatments. Founded by then national support officer Damien Quigley in 2017, the initiative fuels quick treatment for its members at a mere €1.50 per week, making it believed to be a unique private healthcare scheme. The idea sprung from a newspaper article about an EU directive allowing people to seek treatment abroad and claim the cost back.
Quigley conceptualised the scheme and then spoke to the HSE, and subsequently organised the launch of the private healthcare project. Despite being refused €100,000 funding from the Department of Defence, which believed it inappropriate for one government department to subsidise another or sponsor cross-border medical treatment, the scheme was eventually launched. As Mark Keane, PDForra president, explained in Cavan at the annual organisation conference, they received no financial aid to bring the project to fruition.
As a test, the organisation selected an individual suffering from a knee issue – an ailment not uncommon amongst them – and sent this person North. The experiment was successful and, as a result, PDForra provided €150,000 in funding. After 439 surgical procedures, the majority of which were performed in Belfast but a few took place elsewhere in Europe, the organisation now has the capacity to organise health care for 30 people during a high-demand month. The HSE has been notably supportive, he commented.
“The collaboration with Kingsbridge Hospital, an establishment located in Belfast resonates well,” stated Quigley, referring to the scheme that currently boasts around 3,400 participants. This figure accounts for over half of the expansive member base of the organisation.
“In accordance with the scheme’s framework, the member secures a credit union loan, which we underwrite. They are then responsible for the medical bill which is covered by the loan, however, reimbursement from HSE is generally received within a six to seven week period and at that point, we address any remaining balance including accumulated interest.”
According to him, approximately 80 per cent of the treatments facilitated are for issues related to occupation, primarily for knee and hip surgeries. The scheme, however, practically accommodates any service the public could avail from the HSE. The cases have been varied, from vasectomies to a recent situation where a participant undergoing IVF treatment had a cyst detected on her ovaries, which was subsequently treated in Belfast. She has now given birth to a child.