IMNDA Welcomes Changes to the Medical Card

IMNDA Welcomes Changes to Medical Card

The Minister of Health Leo Varadkar has announced the findings of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for the Medical Card Eligibility and has stated that the HSE will be taking actions to improve the operation of the medical card system, particularly for people with significant medical needs.

The new system will make sure that people with terminal illnesses like Motor Neurone Disease; will no longer have to have their medical card reviewed. Access to primary care services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc) should be consistent across the country and prioritisation of these services will be made on the basis of clinical need – independent of the possession of a medical card. Also an individual’s Medical Card status will not be the sole qualifying criterion for access to aids and appliances.

Aisling Farrell, CEO IMNDA said: “‘The IMNDA welcomes the report of the Expert Panel on medical need for medical card eligibility. We particularly appreciate their recommendation that if a discretionary medical card is awarded to people with motor neurone disease, it should be granted for the remainder of life and should not require renewal every three years. The IMNDA is encouraged to see that the report refers to a new strategic framework for assessment and measurement of the burden of the disease and we urge that this is put in place as soon as possible. Prof. Orla Hardiman recently published a paper that reported the health economic cost of MND is twice as high as the cost of colon cancer, and higher than the cost of stroke.”

ENDS

For more information contact Derbhla Wynne or Maeve Leahy on pr@imnda.ie or 01-8730422

Further Details:

To see the full statement issued by the Department of Health please follow this link:

http://health.gov.ie/blog/press-release/lynch-varadkar-announce-ten-key-actions-for-medical-card-system/

Download a copy of the Keane Report & Deloitte/Prospectus Reports here:

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/corporate/expertpanelmedicalneed.pdf

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/corporate/medicalcardprocessreview.pdf

For more on Pr Orla Hardiman’s Health Economic Cost Analysis of MND please see here:

https://imnda.ie/cost-mnd-twice-high-cost-colon-cancer-higher-cost-stroke/