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medical card and optical benefit

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  • 23-06-2021 9:26pm
    #1
    zvone
    Registered Users Posts: 98 ✭✭


    Hi, I have a medical card and I find this...
    Medical card holders are entitled to a free examination and any necessary standard spectacles once every two years (more often if required in certain medical circumstances).

    I am 56 y.o. and need glasses definitely. Walk at the Specsavers to ask, they gave me a form to fill and send to some address. I did and after few days they (Treatment benefit section of Social Welfare Office) send me a letter that my application has not been allowed as I don't have enough PRSI contributions.
    Now I am confused.. I was told that with medical card you can have free test and basic glasses (nothing fancy), now - I cant?


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    #2
    walshtipp
    Registered Users Posts: 334 ✭✭walshtipp


    zvone wrote: »
    Hi, I have a medical card and I find this...


    I am 56 y.o. and need glasses definitely. Walk at the Specsavers to ask, they gave me a form to fill and send to some address. I did and after few days they (Treatment benefit section of Social Welfare Office) send me a letter that my application has not been allowed as I don't have enough PRSI contributions.
    Now I am confused.. I was told that with medical card you can have free test and basic glasses (nothing fancy), now - I cant?

    From Citizens Information - "Medical card holders are entitled to a free examination and any necessary standard spectacles once every two years (more often if required in certain medical circumstances). All examinations and dispensing require approval from the Local Health Office."

    It would seem you should be entitled to an eye test and glasses. But it does say that it requires approval from local heath office. Not sure what is assessed during the approval process.


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    #3
    SCOOP 64
    Registered Users Posts: 5,231 ✭✭✭SCOOP 64


    As far as i am aware you can get them on the medical card alone, looks like they applied on your prsi contributions only.


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    #4
    Vologda69
    Registered Users Posts: 923 ✭✭✭Vologda69


    SCOOP 64 wrote: »
    As far as i am aware you can get them on the medical card alone, looks like they applied on your prsi contributions only.

    Father had same issue. Pensioner rejected as didn't have enough prsi. So reminded optician he was applying as medical card holder. They got the form stamped by HSE local health office and he got the glasses a few weeks later


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    #5
    zvone
    Registered Users Posts: 98 ✭✭zvone


    walshtipp wrote: »
    From Citizens Information - "Medical card holders are entitled to a free examination and any necessary standard spectacles once every two years (more often if required in certain medical circumstances). All examinations and dispensing require approval from the Local Health Office."

    It would seem you should be entitled to an eye test and glasses. But it does say that it requires approval from local heath office. Not sure what is assessed during the approval process.

    Exactly. But if I am entitled base on PRSI contribution (which I am not), what is the point of medical card? They say "Free eye test and glasses with PRSI or Medical Card" I am totally confused.


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    #6
    zvone
    Registered Users Posts: 98 ✭✭zvone


    Vologda69 wrote: »
    Father had same issue. Pensioner rejected as didn't have enough prsi. So reminded optician he was applying as medical card holder. They got the form stamped by HSE local health office and he got the glasses a few weeks later

    Great, thanks. I will ask in Specsvers. Maybe they gave me wrong form.


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    #7
    walshtipp
    Registered Users Posts: 334 ✭✭walshtipp


    zvone wrote: »
    Exactly. But if I am entitled base on PRSI contribution (which I am not), what is the point of medical card? They say "Free eye test and glasses with PRSI or Medical Card" I am totally confused.

    Some people will have enough PRSI contributions and no medical card and others will not have enough PRSI contributions but have a medical card.

    I'd say the opticians misunderstood you when you said you had a medical card. As another post said, you need to have the form stamped by a local HSE office to get the medical card benefit.


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    #8
    bmc58
    Registered Users Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭bmc58


    walshtipp wrote: »
    From Citizens Information - "Medical card holders are entitled to a free examination and any necessary standard spectacles once every two years (more often if required in certain medical circumstances). All examinations and dispensing require approval from the Local Health Office."

    It would seem you should be entitled to an eye test and glasses. But it does say that it requires approval from local heath office. Not sure what is assessed during the approval process.

    PRSI contributions and a Medical Card entitlement are totally different.If you don't have enough PRSI (Stamps) contributions over a given time you will not get certain benefits. If you have a Medical Card you are entitled to get an eye test and glasses(glasses will not be Tom Cruise style) but they will be pretty good.


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    #9
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    zvone wrote: »
    Hi, I have a medical card and I find this...


    I am 56 y.o. and need glasses definitely. Walk at the Specsavers to ask, they gave me a form to fill and send to some address. I did and after few days they (Treatment benefit section of Social Welfare Office) send me a letter that my application has not been allowed as I don't have enough PRSI contributions.
    Now I am confused.. I was told that with medical card you can have free test and basic glasses (nothing fancy), now - I cant?
    it's a medical card form you need not prsi. it goes to your local hse eye dept.that will be in a local hse office probably. ring around find where the person is. if you are eligible they stamp it and return to you and you take it to specsavers.


    it covers the test and some glasses and gives a certain amount towards dearer glasses around 84 euro think


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    #10
    Daisies
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,644 Mod ✭✭✭✭Daisies


    zvone wrote: »
    Great, thanks. I will ask in Specsvers. Maybe they gave me wrong form.

    Sounds like this is the case. They gave you the wrong form. For medical card allowances you will get a green form with a text box in the top left of the form. You need to send it to your local health centre and they will approve it and they will post it back to you


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