• Category 1 includes people who are eligible to the full range of health services free, including GP treatment, prescriptions, all hospital services in-patient and out-patient, dental, optical, aural services and appliances and maternity and infant care services. To get Category 1 access you must have a Medical Card (apply through the local Health Centre). This is means tested. Consult http://www.welfare.ie for details
• Category 2: people in this category are not entitled to a Medical Card. They are entitled to public hospital services and medical services in public wards subject to a hospital services charged. Category 2 people have to pay for routine visits to their GP and for prescriptions and medicines.

Since the majority of employees are in Category 2, they join Health Insurance Schemes. There are two companies providing these plans: VHI run by the state and BUPA, a private company.Many employers pay for these schemes for their employees, partly or fully.

The most popular plan is VHI Plan B. This covers a family of two adults and two children for semi-private accommodation in private hospitals and private and semi-private accommodation in public hospitals (where available). It also covers consultants’ fees and other charges. Prescriptions are not covered, but for families there’s the Drugs Payment Scheme: consult http://www.welfare.ie for more details.

State Health services are delivered through Health Centres and hospitals. There is a health centre in every local community which will provide full information on all services available.