I have met plenty of kids with Down Syndrome who have the long-term illness card but again, who pay full whack for every GP visit. And while Down Syndrome is not an illness in itself, it obviously leaves people prone to lots…
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Medical news service from Penhire
Blog Archives
GP card plan for long-term illness to be dropped
The Government is set to abandon a key election commitment to extend free GP care to almost 60,000 people with long-term illnesses. The plan, proposed as a first step on the way to free GP care for all, was supposed…
Medical card holders keen on Viagra
More than 115,000 prescriptions for Viagra were filled in 2011, according to new figures from the Department of Health. The cost of prescribing the drug has also reached record levels, at almost €3.5 million, not including the dispensing fees paid to…
Number of health card holders at record high
THE number of people covered by medical cards or GP visit cards has reached nearly 2 million – a record high. New figures show that there are 1.8 million people covered by medical cards and another 130,301 by GP visit…
Children on medical cards see GP twice as often
Research has revealed, for the first time, the constraints on families who have to shell out at least €50 each time they see a doctor. There is a concern that individuals and households whose income is just above the medical-card…
William Behan on medical card appeals
[Letter to the Times >] Sir, – I wish to provide follow-up on my letter of February 6th, 2012. It was regarding a patient of mine with multiple illnesses who recently had his full medical card reduced to a doctor…
Medical card backlog cleared in April
A BACKLOG of almost 60,000 medical card applications, built up over a six-month period, has been fully cleared, an Oireachtas committee was told yesterday. Laverne McGuinness, national director of integrated services performance and financial management at the Health Service Executive…
GP to take on hundred of patients
Another doctor is expected to formally take over the care of the hundreds of medical card patients who are without healthcare after their GP closed his practice suddenly last week. It’s believed the HSE will announce today that another GP…
Review of medical cards not in recent use
UP TO 50,000 people who have not used their medical cards recently could lose them under a review currently under way. Minister for Health James Reilly last night said 50,000 people who had not used their medical cards in the…
‘Ghost’ medical card bill costs us €210m
Medical cards for people who are dead, have left the country or are no longer entitled to them are costing the taxpayer as much as €210m a year. A major review of payments to GPs who treat medical card patients…
Paul McKeown: Irish medical staff ‘not among best paid’
“Medical specialists, general practitioners, community doctors and non-consultant hospital doctors have taken their public service pay cuts along with the rest of the public sector and are prepared to do what is necessary to see our country returned to financial…
Tagged with: Irish Medical Organisation, Medical card, Pay
Posted in Doctors, Ken Egan (GP), Martin Daly, Paul McKeown
Posted in Doctors, Ken Egan (GP), Martin Daly, Paul McKeown
Reilly: IMF is not targeting medical cards
Health Minister James Reilly has eased fears the International Monetary Fund is targeting free healthcare schemes. The minister said his clear understanding was the IMF had made inquiries about the medical card scheme and how it operated. “There has been…
Minister says medical card backlog will be cleared in April
MOST OF the backlog in the medical card appeal system will be dealt with by the end of April, Minister of State for Health Róisín Shortall has told the Dáil. She said 500 files had been cleared in recent weeks…
Expired medical cards usable
People facing delays in having their medical card renewed will still be able to use their old card, even if it has passed its expiry date. (Examiner) >
Tadhg Crowley and Kevin Kelly on medical cards
[Letter to Irish Times >] Sir, – As GPs, we have come across distasteful acts by the Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme in its treatment of the medical card population. It is, however, the first time that we have had personal…
William Behan on medical card cutbacks
[Letter to Times > ] Sir, – I had a patient this week whose financial circumstances have recently deteriorated; this month his medical card has been replaced with a doctor visit card, requiring him to pay for all his medication.…
Irish Times editorial on medical card delays
Doctors have been providing pro bono care to people where possible but they cannot legally write prescriptions for free drugs in cases where medical cards are not being renewed. National director of the PCRS Paddy Burke has now apologised for…
Reilly calls for medical card changes
MINISTER FOR Health James Reilly has called for improvements to be made to the system used for issuing and renewing medical cards after reports of long delays for patients. Dr Reilly said patients were the last people who should be…
Aspirin scripts on medical card cost €5.1m per year
Aspirin is the most commonly prescribed drug under the general medical card scheme (GMS), with 2.5 million scripts written each year at a cost of €5.1m. It was thought the 50c charge for each item on scripts charge would prevent card holders…
Dr Seamus Clarke on disappearing medical cards
Sir, – Perhaps someone in the HSE could explain to the public what it means when they state that “medical cards were not cancelled, but holders ceased to be eligible” (Fiona Gartland, Home News, December 13th). Surely a statement even…
9,000 medical cards withdrawn in three months
MEDICAL CARD numbers dropped by almost 9,000 between September 1st and December 1st last year, according to figures released by the HSE. Doctors have claimed the numbers losing their cards are much higher. One GP said almost 600 patients at…
‘Endangering lives for the sake of a few euro’
As her working circumstances — she earns just under the average industrial wage — stayed the same and her condition had deteriorated since her initial medical card application, she justifiably presumed the issue would be a simple rubber-stamping matter. However,…
HSE denies delays in medical cards
The HSE said it aims to process all medical cards within 15 days and is currently processing over 85% within that time frame. However, this is at odds with the experiences of people from Donegal to Cork, who have highlighted…
GPs pull out of primary care teams
MORE THAN 100 GPs in the northeast have withdrawn from primary care teams in the region following concerns including delays in processing medical card applications. The GPs have written to Minister of State for Primary Care Róisín Shortall to inform…
Delay in medical card renewals
Sir, – I read with some relief the letter from Dr Helen O’Neill (December 30th). It seems I am not alone in being left waiting several months to have my medical card to be renewed. I have not visited my…
Medical card patients still misusing drugs despite charge
Research presented to the winter conference of the Royal College of Physicians yesterday showed there was no difference in the use of these medicines before and after the charge. (Independent) >
Academic concerned over drug charges
[From Times >] Prescription drug charges for medical card patients may have a detrimental impact elsewhere in Ireland’s healthcare system, a leading US academic has warned. Prof Frank Lichtenberg of Columbia University in New York said yesterday that “there are…
Mary Rogan re medical card delays
[Letter to Times >] Sir, – As a GP, I must add my voice to the chorus of complaint about the delay in the Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme’s (PCRS) processing of medical card applications. One would certainly be forgiven for…
Planned increases in medical benefit charges ‘penal’
PROPOSED INCREASES in charges for medical benefits have been described as “penal” and a potentially serious risk to patient health. The criticism comes from a range of patient advocacy groups, including the Irish Patients’ Association and Age Action. (Times) >
Medical card could be hit by €50 yearly charge, says Minister
AN ANNUAL €50 charge for medical cards may be introduced as part of new health service cuts under consideration by the Government, Minister for Health James Reilly has signalled. (Times) >
