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Medical Card Help

  • 19-06-2012 9:37am
    #1
    Anna12345
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 ✭


    Two years ago I received a sharp blow to my left cheekbone and orbital bone...stupidly I didn't get it seen to at the time, I didn't think it was serious enough to warrant a hospital visit. A year later I experience numbness in that area...I ask for an Xray but didn't get a call back regarding that.

    Two years later that side of my face is different. The face around the injury site is still numb, if I touch that area for a prolonged period of time it swells and feels funny, sometimes sharp pain. The face has not looked the same especially since I have now lost weight...it has become more pronounced.

    I want to see a doctor about this...I would like to get the area fixed because I know there is something wrong and I am a young woman...the fat loss is mainly on that side of the face and has made my face look odd. I'm worried however about expense. I'm not sure what my next steps should be.

    I have a full medical card. I do know you cannot use it for cosmetic purposes but for this the purpose is a little beyond that.

    I have an appointment with a dermatologist next week (which I will foot the bill for myself) and I am wondering what should I do and say.

    Can the medical card cover things like this if I needed an Xray for instance or if I needed work done on that area.

    Any advice greatly appreciated.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    neemish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭neemish


    If you are going privately to see a doctor, then everything else will be privately funded by you.

    Only if you are seen publicly will the follow-on care be paid for by medical card.


    However, it has been known to happen that if you see a consultant privately who happens to also be a public consultant, then he/she may move you to their "public" list and any follow on care would be covered.


  • #3
    jigital
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32 ✭jigital


    Explain to the dermatologist that you do have a medical card, but you are paying for a faster consultation, as you are concerned about the matter. He/she may move you to their "public" list, as suggested by neemish, or may not. It depends on their willingness and if they even have a public practice. It might be so that you can get treatments as directed by the consultant in a public clinic, but not the consultations.

    Consider asking your GP about a public referral. As far as I know, when a public referral letter is sent by a GP to a specialist, the specialist assesses the urgency of the matter based on the GP's opinion, and will decide whether to put you on a routine list or an urgent list. If your GP feels that it is urgent, perhaps he/she could craft the letter accordingly. Either way, you will still wait longer for public treatment than private. It's up to you to decide, in conjunction with the advice of your GP, whether you want to pay for faster treatment or not.

    I'm not sure if what you describe is entirely a dermatological matter. You should ask your GP about this as well.

    Good luck getting this sorted out.


  • #4
    kangaroo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 651 ✭✭✭kangaroo


    jigital wrote: »
    I'm not sure if what you describe is entirely a dermatological matter. You should ask your GP about this as well.
    Yes, somebody like an oral and maxillofacial surgeon comes to mind. Or simply a cosmetic surgeon. But I'm no doctor.


  • #5
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,286 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    jigital wrote: »
    Explain to the dermatologist that you do have a medical card, but you are paying for a faster consultation, as you are concerned about the matter. He/she may move you to their "public" list, as suggested by neemish, or may not. It depends on their willingness and if they even have a public practice. It might be so that you can get treatments as directed by the consultant in a public clinic, but not the consultations.

    Consider asking your GP about a public referral. As far as I know, when a public referral letter is sent by a GP to a specialist, the specialist assesses the urgency of the matter based on the GP's opinion, and will decide whether to put you on a routine list or an urgent list. If your GP feels that it is urgent, perhaps he/she could craft the letter accordingly. Either way, you will still wait longer for public treatment than private. It's up to you to decide, in conjunction with the advice of your GP, whether you want to pay for faster treatment or not.

    I'm not sure if what you describe is entirely a dermatological matter. You should ask your GP about this as well.

    Good luck getting this sorted out.

    The rule is- if you go privately, you are a private patient, and not entitled to public care, period. There is no grey area about it- its public, or private- you're not entitled to mix and match. There have been recent HSE circulars to consultants to warn them of this.......... You are asking the consultant or doc to break regulations and indeed numerous regulations with requests like this. They may help you out- but you really are opening them to serious trouble- whether you realise it or not.


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