Criteria for children’s long-term illness cards changed

The HSE wrongly denied a child with mental health difficulties a long-term illness card, but have agreed to ease the qualification criteria for some children with health conditions so they can avail of free services, an investigation has found.

Ombudsman Peter Tyndall will today release his first investigation since taking office last month.

The investigation looked at long-term illness cards and specifically the case of one child who had mental health problems.

It is understood that the HSE have agreed to change the criteria for some children in need of long-term illness cards so more can avail of services.

Unlike a medical card, qualification for a long-term illness card does not depend on a person’s income, but on being on a list of designated illnesses that qualify for the card.

A medical card on the other hand is means-tested but can also be provided on a discretionary basis in exceptional circumstances.

Medical conditions that qualify under the long-term illness scheme include mental disability, diabetes, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis.

The Department of Health has introduced changes to long-term illness card provisions.

The HSE in a statement told the Irish Examiner: “The Ombudsman has now concluded its examination on this matter. A disparity was identified in relation to the application of guidelines for eligibility under the LTI scheme.

“As a result, the HSE has developed an operational guideline which ensures that the scheme is administered in a standardised and consistent manner throughout the country.”