HSE fails to provide details of discretionary medical card refusals

The HSE has failed to provide any information on a key part of the discretionary medical card row two months after launching a public awareness campaign on it.

In late August, the Irish Examiner sent a number of Freedom of Information queries asking how many discretionary medical card requests have been refused, appealed, and successfully appealed in recent years.

In addition, similar questions were also sent to the HSE’s press office in late October after senior health service officials launched a €150,000 PR campaign to provide all relevant information on the medical cards dispute.

The specific query was asked as the figures involved would clearly show whether there has been a sudden surge in the number of discretionary medical card applications being turned down.

They would also underline how many of these rejected initial claims were ultimately overturned — situations patient groups insist are taking place and would prove it is increasingly difficult for those genuinely in need to receive discretionary medical card help.

However, despite the HSE’s campaign and Health Minister James Reilly’s Oct 30 remark that “people need full information around medical cards”, the Irish Examiner has been told the specific information is not available.

In a Nov 5 single-page FOI response to this newspaper, a HSE official said the records “do not exist”.

The response seemingly contradicts the head of the Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme, Paddy Burke, who told reporters during a media briefing to launch the HSE’s public awareness strategy that discretionary applications are “flagged” throughout the internal assessment process.

At the time of going to press, the HSE’s press office was also yet to respond to the Oct 30 queries on the matter.

A spokesperson said this was because the sheer volume of requests made over the medical cards issue, including almost 200 parliamentary questions from TDs and a large number of media queries, and the finalising of the HSE service plan caused delays.

This document, published on Dec 18, did not include details on the number of discretionary medical cards to be removed next year — the first time the annual report has failed to clarify the matter.

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher said it is “amazing” officials are apparently unable to locate the figures.

“I find it amazing they can’t access those figures [discretionary medical card appeals] because there is clearly a process to apply for those cards,” he said. “I wonder is the reason that it may unearth a truth they don’t want.”