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Important question about Medical Card

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  • 26-03-2010 2:52am
    #1
    ihavesome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭


    Hi, hoping someone can help me with this. I currently have a medical card, last week I was in the hospital and my consultant has put me down for a surgical procedure which is not an emergency, but still needs to be done. Because it is not an emergency he said I could be waiting 6 months to a year before it is done (public health system...). The thing is, as there are no jobs in this country, coupled with my desire to travel I am moving to North America soon enough for at least six months. I was going to fly back as soon as I am called for surgery. My medical card is due for renewal in August and there is a strong possibility that I won't be here when it is due for renewal. I'm not sure if they will request the card when I get called for surgery, but if they do and I don't have one I am worried that they might charge me a lot of money, or worse, won't allow me to receive it (though I'm assuming no hospital would be cruel enough to do something like that). My consultant said the procedure would be far too expensive for me to have it done privately so I am reliant on this one going ahead. Does anyone know if you are required to present your medical card if you have already been referred? Or is it a case that you are down for treatment and as soon as it is available you just go along? If it is a case that I need the card, then does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do?

    I have heard about other people having problems with medical cards when they return after living away from the country, and even one case where a woman couldn't afford her prescription meds and couldn't get a med card for them.
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    #2
    Trish2007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭Trish2007


    If you do not have a medical card when you are called for the procedure then the only costs you will incur are the bed charges. I think its 75euro a night at the minute and its a maximum of 750 euro a year. You are still entitled to free treatment as a public patient even without a medical card.


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    #3
    ihavesome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭ihavesome


    Thank you so much Trish, that takes a weight off my mind!


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    #4
    BarryM
    Registered Users Posts: 837 ✭✭✭BarryM


    Trish2007 wrote: »
    If you do not have a medical card when you are called for the procedure then the only costs you will incur are the bed charges. I think its 75euro a night at the minute and its a maximum of 750 euro a year. You are still entitled to free treatment as a public patient even without a medical card.

    Hold on, there is a BIG problem at the moment, cards are not being renewed automatically, and there is a BIG backlog.

    It is likely, in these circumstances, that you may not be called if your card is out...., there is a lot of comment around about cards being withdrawn without the person or the gp being informed. Don't want to frighten you but in the financial situation of the moment the HSE is trying to save money all over the place. See this piece from last w/e...http://www.thepost.ie/story/text/eyidcwcwsn/


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    #5
    ihavesome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭ihavesome


    Well I think surgery lists are actually down to the clinic/hospital/consultant. When I asked my consultant about contacting the medical card people he said it actually wasn't anything to do with them and that I should contact the clinic. My main concern was having to pay a fortune for treatment. The medical card covers your treatment but has nothing to do with lists or receiving the treatment, seeing the experts etc. I'd be extremely worried if the administrators at the HSE were deciding on who gets treated for what!


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    #6
    BarryM
    Registered Users Posts: 837 ✭✭✭BarryM


    Perhaps, but there is so much media noise about cards/money/HSE/rights.... etc., I was beginning to think that the hospital/clinic concerned might be required to check that those being treated were 'legit'

    Just wondering; my card is due for renewal, I phoned my local medical centre and asked if my Dr was still taking patients who had out of date cards and got a VERY wary answer 'it would depend' .... what the hell does that mean, I asked. If it were urgent......for example.....

    I assume it is because there are reported cases of GPs having the fee they get for medical card patients removed when patients, for example, exceed the income levels.....Right of course, but not always implemented in the past....and if a GP treats someone who's card will be wthdrawn....

    OK, conspiracy theory stuff, but who knows?

    So....


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