PAC calls for fast-track of medical card review

The HSE should fast-track ways of "extending medical cards automatically" to 80% of card holders whose entitlement to the help is still in doubt, despite the fact there is a "low risk" they will have the support removed.

The call has been made by the Dáil’s public accounts committee in a detailed document on the ongoing saga over the State-funded medical aid.

A report by the cross-party spending watchdog will recommend the move to the HSE as a top priority when it is published next week.

In addition, the Dáil document will suggest that health officials should conduct an audit of card holders who may be at risk of losing the help to see if it would be financially worthwhile to take the support from them, as their medical conditions are likely to mean they will still be eligible for the long-term illness scheme.

It will also stress to officials that a single point of contact for each medical card holder should be made available by the HSE’s primary care reimbursement scheme, as the current situation where case histories have to be repeatedly explained is causing sick people needless problems.

The document — based on PAC meetings with the HSE, Department of Health and patient groups since November — will also note that there is room to cut from the wider medical card service, as there are “material levels of ineligibility”.

However, this should not involve 80% of discretionary medical card holders who are of “low risk”.

Unlike recent “probity reviews”, it will say the reviews should instead be based on “intelligence data gathered through assessments of non-usage” of cards and not via blanket audits which cause a “huge level of anxiety”.

The report, which was discussed at yesterday’s PAC meeting, comes as HSE director general Tony O Brien is continuing to examine the Government’s expert panel review of the current medical card system.