THE HEALTH Service Executive’s (HSE) handling of the removal of medical cards from people over 70 has been nothing short of shambolic, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) claimed yesterday.
Dr Martin Daly, the organisation’s president, said some over-70s had been deleted from the medical card list during a review by the HSE even though they were still eligible to retain their medical cards.
And when they telephoned a central office in Dublin, which is now handling all medical card applications, he said they were told their cards would remain valid until June, even though the public had been told the automatic entitlement to medical cards among over-70s ended in March.
Dr Daly said that when he telephoned the central office he spoke to a man who said the Government had told the HSE to offer a three-month reprieve to people at risk of losing their medical cards. He said the whole area was mired in confusion. “It’s poor administration, it’s poor communication and it creates a climate of fear and uncertainty amongst a vulnerable group of citizens,” he said.
“It’s quite simply shambolic the manner in which this is being handled. They should have learned the lessons from October 2008 which brought people out on to the streets because of a poor communications campaign.
“And they have compounded this problem and perpetuated it by the manner in which they are attempting to review medical card entitlement for over-70s,” he added.
Dr Daly said four of his own patients who were over-70 and had spent a brief period in respite care had been deleted from the medical card list even though they were still eligible to hold medical cards. The HSE said it was absolutely incorrect to suggest there had been any extension to the March 2nd, 2009, deadline in relation to over-70s medical cards.
On that date, medical cards held by anybody over 70 whose income was above certain limits – €700 a week in the case of a single person and €1,400 a week in the case of a couple – became invalid and those holding them were asked to return them to the HSE.
It was expected that about 20,000 cards would be handed back.
To date, according to the HSE, some 10,690 people over 70 have returned their medical cards.
It also said in recent days that a further 9,264 cards have been cancelled as a result of a HSE review to ensure that there are no incorrect or duplicate registrations on the medical card register.
The HSE added that all medical cards – including over-70s medical cards – are reviewed periodically and cards that were due for review in the quarter ending June 30th, 2009, are now being reviewed.
Dr Daly was speaking at a press conference in Dublin in advance of the annual conference of the IMO which takes place next week in Killarney.
The meeting will discuss a wide range of motions on HSE cutbacks, mental health, suicide, care of the elderly, cancer services and hospital-related issues.
