Medical card and hearing aid

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leesider

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I want to get a hearing aid for my mother and I thought I would get a reduction on it from the Department of welfare but I won't because she is in receipt of a contributory pension.

I was thinking of applying for one from the HSE instead because she has a medical card but if the waiting time is too long I won't bother. She needs it urgently. If there is there someone reading this who got a hearing aid from the HSE can you tell me how long did it take to get it? Was it a long drawn-out process?

Thanks
 
leesider said:
I want to get a hearing aid for my mother and I thought I would get a reduction on it from the Department of welfare but I won't because she is in receipt of a contributory pension.
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That's not a valid reason for the DSP to have refused her.

"The Treatment Benefit Scheme is available to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. "

Are you certain that she met that requirement?
 
I was just told by the woman on the phone from the Treatment Benefit Section that she doesn't qualify. She is not considered to be dependent on her spouse's income because she is in receipt of Contributory State pension. I checked the name of the pension she is receiving because I had to put that on the application form. It is a State Contributory pension.
 
leesider said:
I was just told by the woman on the phone from the Treatment Benefit Section that she doesn't qualify. She is not considered to be dependent on her spouse's income because she is in receipt of Contributory State pension. I checked the name of the pension she is receiving because I had to put that on the application form. It is a State Contributory pension.
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That's a pity. But the reason that she's not eligible isn't because she's receiving a Contributory State Pension but because, presumably, she doesn't meet the following eligibility criteria:

There are special rules for people aged 66 and over. To qualify, you must have:

  • 260 PRSI contributions paid at any time and 39 paid or credited contributions in the relevant tax year or the year immediately before it. The relevant tax year is the second last completed tax year before reaching 66 years of age. (For example, if you were 66 in 2015, the relevant tax year is 2013.)
Or

  • 260 PRSI contributions paid at any time and 26 paid contributions in both the relevant tax year and the year immediately before it. The relevant tax year is the second last completed tax year before reaching 66 years of age. (For example, if you were 66 in 2015, the relevant tax year is 2013.)
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Thanks for the replies. She will just have to pay the full price of the hearing aid. If I'd applied to the HSE for a free one it would take longer, I don't know how long though. Specsavers do it for the HSE I believe.
 
If she pays tax then she may be able to claim some tax back on it for what it's worth.

What are qualifying expenses?

This page outlines qualifying expenses for healthcare
www.revenue.ie www.revenue.ie
And if she has private health insurance then maybe that will cover some of the cost?
 
My mother has Laya health insurance but I checked the policy; it's not covered. She is retired with years so not paying tax. I am kind of regretting not trying to get the hearing aid on the medical card but I was fairly certain I would get a few quid off for it sending the form to the Treatment Benefit Section.
Sure, no matter, what's done is done.
 
leesider said:
Thanks for the replies. She will just have to pay the full price of the hearing aid. If I'd applied to the HSE for a free one it would take longer, I don't know how long though. Specsavers do it for the HSE I believe.
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In that case why not ask Spercsavers how long it takes - they might be willing to make some arrangement with her, as long as the were certain that they'd get paid.
 
My mother was in the same position. No contributions, just my dads civil service pension so tax relief was all they could get. Their health insurance didn’t cover it, but they did cover the hearing test, well part of it. So get a separate bill for that from spec savers.
 
My friend got a free one from HSE many years ago.
Yes she was waiting for ages even though I made many calls on her behalf to try to speed it up. I've taken her on many trips for adjustments repairs and upgrades. As the journey to the nearest Audiology centre takes two and a half hours each way on a good day she is now considering the local Specsavers
 
Specsavers do the HSE hearing aids now I think. Maybe the wait time for an appointment is not as long now as it was then. The nearest Specsavers to my mother is only half an hour's drive away but my mother would still consider that an ordeal (she is 91). For the one I am getting she only has to five minutes into town to her GP's practise. It was easier to get her to go in because I could fool her into thinking she was going to see her GP and not for a hearing aid.
Also if she doesn't turn up for an appointment I can set up another one for very soon after.
I couldn't risk making an appointment with the HSE because she might not go. Then she would get bumped down to the end of the list. I have to pay for the hearing aid this way but it is easier for me and her. Great that people can get it on the medical card though.
 
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