HSE apology ‘only the start’ in medical card row
The HSE has apologised to a terminally ill father of three after twice revoking his medical card.
But while John Wall of Quin, Co Clare, has been given back his card without a medical review or means test, the HSE has now clarified that all other patients issued with a card because of a terminal diagnosis will be reviewed after six months.
That is despite a promise by Leo Varadkar when he was health minister in 2014 that the practice of reviewing terminally ill patients would end.
It also contradicts more recent Department of Health public information that medical cards for terminally ill patients were valid for 18 months. The HSE said that information was incorrect and had since been removed from the public domain.
The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) said it was shocked to discover that the restrictions were being imposed as it understood the card was valid for 18 months.
Angela Edghill, IHF advocacy manager, called on the HSE to immediately clarify the procedures for getting and retaining the medical card, describing them as “completely opaque”.
“We campaigned so hard and so long to remove the review requirement. We did not realise it had moved so far from the minister’s policy statement in 2014 to what we now see is the operation of the scheme on the ground. It really is adding insult to injury for people,” she said.
The restrictions came to light after Mr Wall, 48, queried why the medical card he got following his diagnosis of stage four terminal prostate cancer was revoked after six months and again after two months when he successfully appealed for its return.
He went public with his story after failing to get an explanation from the HSE.
He said he accepted the HSE’s apology and was glad to have his card back but he said that was far from the end of the matter.
“It’s fine for me because I’ve my card back but there are thousands of others out there who are being put through this palaver.
“They’re being means-tested when the whole idea of a medical card for terminal illness was that it wasn’t about your means and they’re being asked to prove they’re dying every six months. It’s appalling. It’s incredibly insensitive and it’s exactly what Leo Varadkar said would not happen any more.”
In a statement, the HSE said a non-means-tested emergency medical card was available to people given terminal diagnoses which was valid for six months.
Patients wanting an extension needed to submit to a means test after five months. If refused, the HSE “has discretion” to issue a card on further consideration of the medical information provided. It insisted this was the case since 2012.
