Medical Card holders can now apply for a Long Term Illness Card

graflynn

I know this press statement is from last December and might be "old" news but I find that sometimes the information takes a long time to find it's way to absolutely everyone who needs to know.

Diabetes Ireland: Important Breaking News

Medical Card holders can now apply for a Long Term Illness Card and avoid the monthly €2.50 prescription charge for each item

Diabetes Ireland has just learned that following a recent change in Department of Health policy, if you are a person with diabetes who holds a medical card, you can also now apply for, and be granted, a Long Term Illness (LTI) card.

Diabetes is one of the conditions recognised for inclusion in the LTI scheme. The LTI card allows you to receive drugs medicines and medical appliances directly related to your condition, free of charge. It does not depend on your income or other circumstances. The medical card on the other hand is means tested, but can also be provided on a discretionary basis in exceptional circumstances.

What does this mean?

As you may know, medical card holders must pay a €2.50 prescription charge for each item dispensed by the pharmacist through this scheme. There are no prescription charges associated with the LTI card.

If you are currently accessing medications for diabetes, and by association, cholesterol and/or blood pressure medications through your medical card, you can now get these through the LTI card and still retain the use of your medical card for other purposes. This would result in you avoiding prescription charges and could potentially save you up to €25 per month.

Next steps

Therefore, if you currently have a medical card, apply for an LTI card if you already do not have one. An application can be got from your GP or download it here.

Your GP or Consultant will need to sign it to confirm your condition and list your medications. Once signed, bring it to your local health office for processing.

palmcut

graflynn wrote: »

I know this press statement is from last December and might be "old" news but I find that sometimes the information takes a long time to find it's way to absolutely everyone who needs to know.

Diabetes Ireland: Important Breaking News

Medical Card holders can now apply for a Long Term Illness Card and avoid the monthly €2.50 prescription charge for each item

Diabetes Ireland has just learned that following a recent change in Department of Health policy, if you are a person with diabetes who holds a medical card, you can also now apply for, and be granted, a Long Term Illness (LTI) card.

Diabetes is one of the conditions recognised for inclusion in the LTI scheme. The LTI card allows you to receive drugs medicines and medical appliances directly related to your condition, free of charge. It does not depend on your income or other circumstances. The medical card on the other hand is means tested, but can also be provided on a discretionary basis in exceptional circumstances.

What does this mean?

As you may know, medical card holders must pay a €2.50 prescription charge for each item dispensed by the pharmacist through this scheme. There are no prescription charges associated with the LTI card.

If you are currently accessing medications for diabetes, and by association, cholesterol and/or blood pressure medications through your medical card, you can now get these through the LTI card and still retain the use of your medical card for other purposes. This would result in you avoiding prescription charges and could potentially save you up to €25 per month.

Next steps

Therefore, if you currently have a medical card, apply for an LTI card if you already do not have one. An application can be got from your GP or download it here.

Your GP or Consultant will need to sign it to confirm your condition and list your medications. Once signed, bring it to your local health office for processing.

Full approval can take up to 3 weeks. Local approval has to be confirmed by the PCRS in Dublin. (PCRS is a subsiduary of the HSE)

locum-motion

DiabetesIreland wrote: »

...Your GP or Consultant will need to sign it to confirm your condition and list your medications...

(My emphasis.)


Not quite correct.

For Diabetics, there is a list of meds that will be automatically covered. It is called "Core List F". Everything that appears on core list F will be automatically authorised for payment for Diabetic patients. The doctor doesn't need to list the meds on the application form.
If a diabetic needs a med that isn't on list F, then they must pay for it/get it on their GMS prescription/whatever.
If their doctor wants to argue that the med is for diabetes even though it's not on list F, then the Dr needs to make that case to the HSE on your behalf.

For Epileptics, there is an analogous list. It is called "Core List H".

None of the other LTI illnesses have a core list.