HSE denies asking people if life-long conditions gone

The Health Service Executive has denied asking medical card holders with life-long conditions, during the card renewal process, whether their conditions had gone away.

Claims that officials asked the parent of a Down syndrome child whether he still had the condition and, separately, asked a patient with MS whether it had improved, were the subject of significant political controversy before last week’s elections.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore described the alleged questioning of medical card applicants as a form of harassment.

Yesterday, the HSE said its requests for up-to-date medical information from applicants was “misconstrued”.

"The HSE has reviewed its written correspondence and telephone recordings and is satisfied that where medical information was sought from applicants it was done so appropriately and within the parameters of the medical card scheme."

Life-long conditions

The HSE does not require medical card applicants to provide proof of life-long conditions when a card falls due for renewal, it said.

Applicants are required to provide information about any change in their medical circumstances. "This is a necessary and reasonable part of the medical card renewal process, to assist a person in establishing eligibility."

Income threshold

The HSE said that, at renewal, where a person is over the income threshold and discretion is being applied, an updated medical report must be provided.

“This is not to confirm that an individual continues to have a life-long condition, rather it is designed to provide an update on medical treatment under way, which may result in costs for the family.”

A spokeswoman said reviews of medical cards were carried out in good faith. Any information sought about up-to-date medical circumstances was intended only to capture all relevant information that may give rise to undue financial hardship, including the cost of ongoing medical care.

She said the HSE must operate within the parameters of the Health Act, 1970.

Last year, officials reviewed 644,858 medical cards. At the end of February, the assessment of eligibility had been concluded in relation to 482,866 cardholders, 96.4 per cent of whom continued to hold cards following the review. Medical card eligibility is based on a financial means assessment.