Planned increases in medical benefit charges 'penal'

PROPOSED INCREASES in charges for medical benefits have been described as “penal” and a potentially serious risk to patient health.

The criticism comes from a range of patient advocacy groups, including the Irish Patients’ Association and Age Action.

They were responding to proposed charges and cuts in health services outlined on Tuesday night by Minister for Health James Reilly.

Potential charges include an annual fee of €50 for medical cards and new charges for home help or other community services. Also under consideration is the closure of at least 40 HSE-run community nursing homes.

Age Action urged members of the public to contact their TDs to protest at the proposed cuts. Spokesman Eamon Timmins said the cuts were totally unacceptable as they would hurt the sickest and poorest in society.

“The scale of the threatened cuts is shocking”, representing “an unprecedented attack by Government on some of our most vulnerable citizens”.

He said the brunt of the cuts would be borne by the sickest and poorest of older people who are at a stage of life, on low fixed incomes and with health needs, where they are dependent on the State for essential services.

Also expressing opposition to the new charges was the Irish Patients’ Association, whose chairman Stephen McMahon said costs were “a matter of patient safety of the highest priority”.

Mr McMahon said the cuts “may make sense from a fiscal point of view but the impact on patients who are already struggling will be penal, absolutely penal”.

The Government is ultimately accountable for the safety of the patients that will be affected by these proposed charges if they are implemented, and patient impact statements for these budgetary proposals should be published, Mr McMahon said.