Medical Card applications 6 months backlog

gurramok

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0322/health.html

We have the passports backlog and now the medical card backlog. My other half has been waiting since Xmas for her application to come through and at this rate it will be next Xmas by the time it comes :mad:

Is this backlog part of that go slow thing? If so, its causing misery on innocent people :mad:

Can the public sector processing section be a little bit more efficient?!

The Irish Medical Organisation has claimed there are persistent administrative problems with the medical card scheme with patients having to wait up to six months for their card.

The organisation says major delays in renewing cards means some patients can not get their medicines and that their health is being compromised.

The HSE says it has been moving to a new centralised applications system which will be more efficient.

It is promising a 15 day turnaround time for all properly completed application forms.

The HSE says it plans to launch an online tracking system for applications and a dedicated telephone line and text service.

The issue is to be discussed at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children tomorrow.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

I am still waiting on my card which I applied for last april

JONJO THE MISER

Nicole Long Statistics wrote: »

I am still waiting on my card which I applied for last april

On April fools day by any chance.

syklops

Not a problem really. By the time you get the medical card they will have gotten round to reading the Xray.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

On April fools day by any chance.

Nope...

gurramok

Nicole Long Statistics wrote: »

Nope...

How does it take that long? That is taking the mick.

You could be dead by the time it arrives god help you if you get seriously sick!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

gurramok wrote: »

How does it take that long? That is taking the mick.

You could be dead by the time it arrives god help you if you get seriously sick!

Beats me, it was the same with my gun license, I got 2 years out of it without paying though, so I am not complaining

I am on the medical card list, but I just have no card. Which makes things akward, I was extremely ill a few months ago but because I had no card the hospital were being extremely awkward about it... It worked out in the end though.

gurramok

Nicole Long Statistics wrote: »

Beats me, it was the same with my gun license, I got 2 years out of it without paying though, so I am not complaining

I am on the medical card list, but I just have no card. Which makes things akward, I was extremely ill a few months ago but because I had no card the hospital were being extremely awkward about it... It worked out in the end though.

It could be 'lost in the post' aka stored in some filing cabinet somewhere.

Maybe apply again? But then again you would just add to the backlog that way

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

gurramok wrote: »

It could be 'lost in the post' aka stored in some filing cabinet somewhere.

Maybe apply again? But then again you would just add to the backlog that way

Oh it doesn't bother me that much to be honest, I don't use it all that much. Hopefully next year I actually get a card I am just happy that I get free medical care, if I need it I know I am not completely fooked, hopefully I won't need it much at all though

changes

That guy on the RTE news should have had a Long Term Illness card anyway. Was RTE just trying to make a story??

starbelgrade

Nicole Long Statistics wrote: »

Oh it doesn't bother me that much to be honest, I don't use it all that much. Hopefully next year I actually get a card I am just happy that I get free medical care, if I need it I know I am not completely fooked, hopefully I won't need it much at all though

It's not strictly free if someone else is paying for it.

Stinicker

Should we really have Medical Cards anyway? I think they are abused and people are running to the doctor with the smallest ailments while the working man and woman has to shell out €50 (minimum) for every GP visit, while those on welfare get it free along with everything else. That is not a fair society to me.

bazmaiden

starbelgrade wrote: »

It's not strictly free if someone else is paying for it.

ouch!!

But seriously last november my granny's medical card was taken from her because the pub that her son runs is still in her name

brianthebard

gurramok wrote: »

Is this backlog part of that go slow thing? If so, its causing misery on innocent people :mad:

Or, could it possibly be that there are now tens of thousands more people who qualify for a card and the dept has a hiring freeze, meaning there are less people to process the applications? No, couldn't be....

pieface_ie

I'm waiting since September I rang up about it recently and was told it hasn't been processed yet.
This country is falling apart like a cheap Turkish watch. No sign of any of te ministers struggling to make ends meet.when you see them on tv the majority of them are the most decrepid looking creatures known to man,ugly whores.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

starbelgrade wrote: »

It's not strictly free if someone else is paying for it.

It surely is free... and who is paying for it exactly? Let's not assume too much now, yea? :rolleyes:

McChubbin

Fecksake, this is a disgrace.
Been waiting on a card renewal since November myself. If it keeps going at this rate, I'd either have to sell a kidney on eBay or use the ol' 'doornob and string' technique if I've ever got a hope in hell of getting through the year without excruciating dental pain.

changes

bazmaiden wrote: »

ouch!!

But seriously last november my granny's medical card was taken from her because the pub that her son runs is still in her name

What is so wrong with that. If she has a business in her name then that will be taken into account in the means test.