1,000 a month losing discretionary medical cards

More than 1,000 people a month are losing their discretionary medical cards, with a total drop of nearly 10,000 in the first eight months of the year.

Figures from the Health Service Executive show the number of cards provided on the basis of severe medical needs rather than income has reduced from 63,126 last year to 53,884 in August. This is below what the HSE’s latest monthly management report — published yesterday — describes as a “target year-to-date” to have 55,000 discretionary medical cards in circulation

Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil there was a lot of “scare mongering” around the issue and that “every person in this country who deserves a medical card will have a medical card”.

He has consistently argued that the reasons for a drop in the number of discretionary medical cards is because people are moving to normal cards because their income has dropped. This has happened in 22,000 cases since the start of 2011, he said. The HSE was unable to provide figures on what portion of the 10,000 reduction in discretionary cards this year moved on to the income-based entitlement.

It has, however, accepted that its spending plan for 2013 — signed off on by the Government in January — provided for the reduction of 20,000 cards through changes to income assessment procedures.

Its 2013 service plan said “policy changes” would lead to a reduction of 40,000 medical cards, including 20,000 from changes introduced in last year’s budget to income eligibility for the over-70s.

Laverne McGuinness, HSE chief operations officer, yesterday confirmed there were two changes provided for in the service plan, and that a 20,000 reduction was to be secured from a second measure, other than changes for the over-70s.

She insisted there has been “no clampdown” on the provision of discretionary medical cards.

Down Syndrome Ireland said it knows of at least 100 children with Down’s syndrome who have lost their discretionary medical cards in the last 12 months, and believes the figure could be double this.

“The Government is in total denial about this,” said chief executive Pat Clarke.