A local senator has called on the Department of Health to terminate all reviews into medical card renewals while the Covid-19 pandemic continues.
Labour senator Mark Wall, who is from Athy, called on the Minister for State Frank Feighan to resume a practice regarding medical cards that had been in place until last month.
The Department suspended reviews and offered automatic renewals for a year – but this ended last month.
In his reply to senator Wall, Minister for State Frankie Feighan, confirmed that at the outset of the pandemic, the HSE temporarily suspended all reviews until last month.
All cards that were due to expire were extended for one year. The Minister went on to say that periodic eligibility has resumed but that the HSE operates a sensitive assessment process.
Senator Wall also sought an update on the provision of cards to terminally ill patients and the reason why the new income guidelines for over 70’s medical cards have not come into place.
In reply, Minister for State Feighan confirmed that in relation to terminal ill people, the HSE clinical advisory group was established in 2019 to review this issue and a report was submitted from them to the Department which was under review.
The Minister also confirmed that due to an issue with hoped for savings in the health budget that did not happen, the new income guidelines could not be put in place.
Senator Wall in answering the Minister, called on the Department of health to immediately suspend the review of medical cards.
He said that the pandemic was causing great stress to older people in particular, who were receiving letters of renewal at this time.
He called on the Government to extend the ‘end of life cards’for terminally ill patients to two years rather than the one year they are at the moment.
He said: “It is unacceptable that up to 56,00 elderly people are waiting on the new income guidelines and would possibly qualify for a full medical card.
“The Government recently announced an extra €600 million of funding to the Department of Health and part of this should be looked at to finally introduce the new income limits.
“We must extend the cards for terminally ill patients to 2 years, too many patients are deeply worried about the future cost of medical care to their families without such a card and the trauma of getting further applications together at such a difficult time in their lives.
“Medical cards are a comfort blanket to so many people especially later in life, we must do everything to help them secure and sustain this comfort blanket when they need it most.”
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