The HSE has clarified that medical card holders over 70, who are awaiting renewal, will not be penalised because of processing delays in Dublin.
That is according to Mayo TD Beverley Flynn who raised the issue at an Oireachtas committee on health last week. Dep Flynn was informed that over 70s will have their cards extended while they are waiting the official decision on renewal of their existing cards.
Dep Flynn told the committee that because of a backlog in the processing of applications, over 70s medical card holders were being left in a limbo awaiting news of their renewal application.
“The people I am referring to are those who meet the income guidelines and whose circumstances have not changed. In other words, they clearly qualify for the renewal of the medical card but, because of the backlog in the HSE, they are left without a valid card,” she said.
Dep Flynn added that some of those people were waiting up to several months for a decision which should be no more than a formality.
The committee also debated in detail the plans of the HSE to centralise the processing of all medical cards to a central facility in Dublin. As a result of the debate and the strong opposition voiced, it was agreed that the centralisation of medical cards, with the exception of those relating to the over 70s, would be put on hold pending a satisfactory resolution to the current backlog.
Dep Flynn also said that the HSE had agreed that the processing of discretionary medical cards would remain at local level.
These are cases where the income of the applicant may exceed the guidelines, but where there are other factors to be taken into consideration.
Dep Flynn welcomed this decision “because it is only at local level that the case for a discretionary medical card can best be evaluated, by people who have first hand knowledge of the particular circumstances, and not by a faceless computer in Dublin”.
She said that up to 300 staff would continue to be employed at local health offices dealing with the issue of medical cards.
