Can The Pensioners Fight The Medical Card Withdrawal?

B

Bluebells

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Listening to Pat Kenny this morning, and hearing that all holders of over 70 medical cards, will get forms next month to complete for the means test, I wondered what would happen if nobody sent back these forms. Would the Dept. Of Health have to do an audit on everybody?

Later in the programme, a caller asked the same question, and Pat put it to the Friday Gathering. However they got diverted almost immediately, and the question was not answered.

What would happen?
 
I don't get this opposition to means testing the OAP medical card. Why should someone like Tony O'Reilly get a free medical card?

Isn't the whole point of the much-vaunted community rating that older people can pay the same for health insurance as the rest of us? If pensioners can afford it, they should pay for their own health insurance.
 


the threshold is just over the state pension... it's not talking about cutting off millionaires, but anything who worked hard all their life to put away a small bit of extra month for their retirement....



to the op , I presume if you don't return the form they just cut you off...
 
Yes, failure to return information usually leads to cancellation of card or service.
Returning false information can lead to prosecution so that's not on either.

Re millionaires over 70 getting a medical card - pensioners will only get one if they actually apply for one (I heard this morning that Jackie Healy Rae doesn't have one, because he didn't apply). I know that they could apply and would have received one automatically, but it didn't just drop in the post to them.

All persons over 66 get free travel too, but I don't hear calls for that to be means-tested to take it from those who might not need it.....(or have I just leaked next year's budget bombshell!)
 
I have just heard an OP on Liveline saying that he believes it isn't legal for the Minister to withdraw these cards from over 70s. Under some article in the Equality Act 2002. He is prepared to go as a test case if he can find some legal eagle to take the case without fees.If that goes ahead what will it cost in legal fees to the state?
 
There's something being mentioned on independent.ie about the fact that if you have previously enjoyed a medical card and then the HSE deem you ineligible that you have a period of 3 years before they can withdraw it. But Mary Harney has said they are going to change that rule in January. Be interesting to see someone challenging it.
 
Alot of the medical cards out there are valid until 2011. They may have to honour those.
 
The legislation which introduced the medical card for over 70s must be repealed before cards can be withdrawn in favour of means-tested cards. The HSE has been warned (by the Labour Party) not to start implementing the change (by sending out the means-test letters) until new legislation has been agreed and signed into law.

There is an existing clause in the Medical Card Guidelines which states that if a person no longer qualifies for a card because of a change in policy, they are entitled to hold the card for 3 years after the change. This is the clause that Ms Harney intends changing - for the over 70s only.
 
The original idea to extend entitlement to medical cards for over seventies was a pretty cynical ploy to capture the votes of retired people. If that same sector, plus their families make enough noise then the ruling will be reversed. There are after all elections coming up in June. The senior citizens parliament and possibly some other groups are holding a rally outside Dail Eireann on Wednesday next (I think); if that gets good support then I reckon that Harney will cave in and reverse the ruling.
While the idea of people like Sir Anthony getting free doctor visits doesn't ring well with some people, if he paid his taxes in Ireland then why shouldn't he? After all, rich people get free TV licenses and free travel, so why not doctor visits?
My issue with the budget ruling is not just with them putting the frighteners on the elderly; if one concession is clawed back, then for sure others will follow. We'll all be old some day, so let's support the elderly on this one.
 
I hope the younger generation will learn from the Pensioners how to organise and protest. The silence of the Catholic Church by the way is deafening.
 
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