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Med card Renewal..mad what they want

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  • 21-10-2011 1:45pm
    #1
    buzzymam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭


    Is anyone having or had their medical card renewed recently? This is my 2nd time to renew my card and they are looking for a copy of my house insurance policy and mortgage protection insurance policy, not a letter, the actual policy documents.

    I cant for the life of me understand WHY they need this. I have both (somewhere) so i can provide a copy but seriously cant understand the need. My circumstances havnt changed in the 12 months since last renewal and i was never asked for this before.

    Seems like someone trying to justify their job by requesting and processing unnecessary documents or am i missing something?


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    #2
    Balagan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,168 ✭✭✭Balagan


    The HSE announced in October that it is seeking ways of saving around €300 million on its budget for the rest of the year. There were many reports in the newspapers

    http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/freeze-on-medical-cards-could-hit-42000-170694.html

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1014/1224305756071.html

    about it and while the HSE discounted that it would put limits on the amount of medical cards issued, it did say that "this was just one of a range of suggested proposals for dealing with the current budget overrun." http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=19883

    This more detailed checking of reviews and request for copies of documents which you have received are likely to be down to the preparing for the cut backs.


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    #3
    buzzymam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭buzzymam


    I had read about the savings needed, I just cannot see why having 20 quid a month contents insurance,or not, is in any way relevant to med card entitlement?? Certainly not enough to warrant sending in copies of full policy docs.


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    #4
    jeckle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 652 ✭✭✭jeckle


    buzzymam wrote: »
    I had read about the savings needed, I just cannot see why having 20 quid a month contents insurance,or not, is in any way relevant to med card entitlement?? Certainly not enough to warrant sending in copies of full policy docs.
    Had you included the insurance figures in a statement of your outgoings/bills?

    The only reason I ask is to try to figure out how or why they would need to ask for these documents.


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    #5
    mrsbyrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,228 ✭✭✭mrsbyrne


    buzzymam wrote: »
    Is anyone having or had their medical card renewed recently? This is my 2nd time to renew my card and they are looking for a copy of my house insurance policy and mortgage protection insurance policy, not a letter, the actual policy documents.

    I cant for the life of me understand WHY they need this. I have both (somewhere) so i can provide a copy but seriously cant understand the need. My circumstances havnt changed in the 12 months since last renewal and i was never asked for this before.

    Seems like someone trying to justify their job by requesting and processing unnecessary documents or am i missing something?
    Your know your circumstances havnt changed,but for all Medical Cards know, youve won the Lottery. They want to look at your financial circumstances to check that you cant afford to pay for your medical care out of your own pocket. When your asking for means tested assistance it stands to reason that you will have to supply evidence of your income.


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    #6
    buzzymam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭buzzymam


    mrsbyrne wrote: »
    Your know your circumstances havnt changed,but for all Medical Cards know, youve won the Lottery. They want to look at your financial circumstances to check that you cant afford to pay for your medical care out of your own pocket. When your asking for means tested assistance it stands to reason that you will have to supply evidence of your income.

    Wouldn't bank statements and income tax returns, mortgage statements etc.. not cover that? They have all that, thats 100% fair enough..... they can also see the monthly contents and mortgage insurance premiums on said bank statements too. Just cant see the reasoning for wanting the policy documents. Im not borderline financially for qualifying either, income is well under.


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    #7
    flower tattoo
    Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭flower tattoo


    I didn't send the policy, I sent the direct debit schedule which was accepted


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    #8
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    The expenses section of the form is to help bring you below income cut off point.

    For example under 65s living alone have a cut off point of around about €180 after expenses.

    So if you pay €150 per week towards your mortgage, €10 towards house insurance and spend €40 a week traveling to work. €100+€10+€40 = €200 add that to the base rate of €180 and you get €380.

    So in that situation if you earned under €380 you'd get the card,

    If you don't want your expenses included just write on the form you have none, if you do want them taken into consideration you need to provide documents to prove that you are currently paying the expenses you say you are.


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    #9
    Tonykells
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭Tonykells


    buzzymam wrote: »
    Is anyone having or had their medical card renewed recently? This is my 2nd time to renew my card and they are looking for a copy of my house insurance policy and mortgage protection insurance policy, not a letter, the actual policy documents.

    I cant for the life of me understand WHY they need this. I have both (somewhere) so i can provide a copy but seriously cant understand the need. My circumstances havnt changed in the 12 months since last renewal and i was never asked for this before.

    Seems like someone trying to justify their job by requesting and processing unnecessary documents or am i missing something?

    When did they send you out the renewel form, I heard they send out the renewel form 6 weeks before the card expires. Is this correct ?

    Also if the card is valid to say July for example, does this mean the card expires on the 1st of July or the 31st.


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    #10
    mrsbyrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,228 ✭✭✭mrsbyrne


    Tonykells wrote: »
    When did they send you out the renewel form, I heard they send out the renewel form 6 weeks before the card expires. Is this correct ?

    Also if the card is valid to say July for example, does this mean the card expires on the 1st of July or the 31st.
    31st July. If you havnt got a renewal form 6 weeks before expiry date, you should ring up about it.


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    #11
    buzzymam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭buzzymam


    User136 wrote: »
    If you don't want your expenses included just write on the form you have none, if you do want them taken into consideration you need to provide documents to prove that you are currently paying the expenses you say you are.

    I had given bank statements and premium schedules from the insures clearly stating all that. Yet, they still asked for the actual policies ????

    I did the online renewal this year and it taking longer and more hassle than the paper version last year! My card is up at the end of the week :(


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