HSE admits changes to medical card criteria

The HSE has been accused of deceit over the medical card crisis, after a senior official finally admitted the criteria for how the discretionary cards are provided has been changed.

The HSE’s national director of primary care, John Hennessy, conceded the change after initially claiming no alteration has taken place.

Speaking on Thursday’s Prime Time, he initially repeated the Government’s official line that there has been no policy change regarding the handing out of discretionary medical cards.

“I happen to know the rules haven’t changed,” he said.

However, after it was put to him that three separate changes were in fact imposed in April — weeks before a flurry of concerns began to be raised by discretionary medical card holders — he conceded the alteration.

When it was put to him three legitimate expenses previously taken into account — a €50 car allowance for people driving to work, reasonable childcare fees, and home improvement support — were implemented in April, he then said that “is the change”.

News of the three changes was revealed by Labour senator and former community worker John Kelly.

He said the issue was confirmed during a Seanad debate with Health Minister James Reilly a year ago.

During the discussion the head of the health service said “significant latitude” was shown when possible in the years the country “was awash with money”, but “we do not have the money” to do it now.

The Irish Medical Organisation said the situation suggests HSE officials and government ministers have deceived the public over the crisis.

“The HSE is denying what we can all see with our own eyes and hear with our own ears,” said IMO GP committee chair, Dr Ray Walley.

“Thousands of discretionary medical cards are being withdrawn from young and old people across the country and it is causing untold misery and hardship.

“Changing the way existing rules are applied and changing the rules themselves amount to the same thing.”