Getting eyes tested on medical card

Mrs Garth Brooks

I need to get my eyes tested as its been two years. I am on the medical card. I went into the opticians where i am now and i received a form to fill out and i was told that i send it back to my local health office and i should get the form back and i bring it into the opticians to book an appointment.

I was told since i was from galway i should send it back to galway. I presume its because i received my medical card which is for use in galway as my GP is there.

So i get the form back today and it isn't filled out or stamped or anything by the local health office. I get the same form back, the same way as i sent it. I don't get it. There's no letter explaining.

Is it because i used a different county as my address?

Im in college five hours away from home so i would like to get my eyes tested where i am instead of going to galway.

Foggles

The form will have to be filled out with the address that corresponds to your medical card. If that address is in Galway then the form with be authorised and sent to that address. If you want it to come to your new address you'll have to wait until it is officially changed on your medical card record. If your old address is occupied by a friend or family member just get them to forward the form onto you once it is returned from the HSE.

I'd say that the addresses didn't correspond and that's why it was sent back unauthorised.

(Usually though the forms are sent in by the optician.)

endplate

if the people in the Opticians were of some help they should have filled out the form on your behalf and sent it away for you. we do that for customers as people get frightened by forms so we save them the trouble. The original form gets sent back to you and in the authorising section there should be two stamps one for examination and one for dispensing.

If you have changed address since you applied for the medical card you need to update the hse database you can do this by contacting you local hse office. Also if your doctor is based in the next county that can have a bearing onto where the form should be sent. Ring the hse office and tell them about your situation. They will be in the best position to advise you with what's going wrong with your application.

Mrs Garth Brooks

So i dont know what to do.

I filled out the form and had it return to me without a letter explaining why. I called them up and said it was because of the address. So they wouldn't take that application.

Since im travelling home weekly i decided to, fill out another application with my home address. They wouldn't accept that one either and this time i got a letter. Their reason was because i was already approved with the previous application.

But i wasnt. Its been over two years since i had my eyes tested. And now they're telling me that i have to wait another two years cause i was already approved with the first application.

An eye test is only 30 euro but if i need new glasses, thats something i cant afford. Having it done on the medical card would help.

Would writing them a letter with copies of what they sent me help? And asking them to explain their reason better? Is it im only allowed to fill out one form every two years? And if you screw that up, though ****?

endplate

If you were just within the two years you should have been told that in the letter accompaning your form. I'm afraid you are going to have to ring the HSE office again. Firstly ask your Optician where you last got tested what exactly was the date you got tested before ringing the HSE office. Explain that this was the last time you were tested and you have not used your medical card since. Also ask the HSE office when was your form last authorised and to which optician. Get these answers and explain to your Optician about what's happening and ask if they can help you out to get this situation clarified. Good luck and keep us posted.