SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS of over-70s who are no longer eligible for a medical cards are refusing to hand back their cards due to fears they will not be able to afford medication or GP services, according to groups representing older people.
Health authorities have warned that anyone who knowingly makes a false income statement to health authorities or is not entitled to hold on to a medical card may be hit with the full cost of any health services they receive.
Age Action said yesterday it has received large numbers of calls from concerned older people who say they are prepared to break the law in order to hold on to their medical card.
“They include older people who have considerable monthly medical costs,” said Age Action’s spokesman Eamon Timmins. “These are sick, older people who from today are living in fear of getting a letter from the HSE calling for them to be audited.”
Age Action says it is advising older people with incomes outside the threshold limit that they are in breach of the law. It says they should apply immediately for a medical card or GP-only card.
However, Mr Timmins said many believe they may be refused a GP-only card due to the limited number of cards available and the shrinking public finances.
“This is a completely unacceptable situation and one which is an inevitable consequence of the Government’s refusal to listen to the concerns of older people,” he said.
The HSE sent out 350,000 letters in recent months asking anyone over 70 who received their medical card on the basis of age only (without a means test) to make a declaration on their income before March 2nd, 2009.
Under the new eligibility rules for over-70s medical card, the automatic entitlement applies only to those with a gross income of €700 a week or less for a single person, or €1,400 a week or less for a couple.
A person over the income limit may still apply for a medical card under the general medical card scheme if their health circumstances cause them “undue financial hardship”.
The HSE did not comment on how many income declaration forms it has received, except to say all forms will be processed over the next five to 10 working days.
It has advised that any person over 70 who is over the relevant income limits and has not yet made a declaration to do so immediately.
“They cannot validly use their card after the March 2nd, 2009. The HSE is ready to assist clients in assessing their situation and making the declaration,” a spokeswoman said.
The HSE, meanwhile, was accused of causing “confusion and fear” among older people as a result of contradictory information on how the new rules will operate.
Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter said the HSE’s website was advising all over-70s medical card holders to send in a declaration of their income. However, he said the legislation only obliges those whose income exceeds the threshold limit to notify the HSE.
“This contradiction has caused a great deal of unnecessary worry and a fear among people over 70 who are properly entitled to retain their medical card that their cards will be withdrawn,” he said.
Labour’s health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan TD also raised concerns that over 70s who hand back their medical cards may be left covering the full cost of medication for March.
She said a constituent was told by her local health centre that she could not apply for the drugs repayment scheme – which limits monthly drugs bills – until her medical card is withdrawn.
Ms O’Sullivan said the woman was told it would take a further three weeks to issue this card.
Advice on how the new over-70s medical card rules operate are available on the HSE’s local health offices, or on a special telephone line: 1850 24 1850