To hate the medical card unit?

[Bimgy85]

This won't apply to most of you from the UK

Just wanna rant. Applied for my families medical card over a month ago, after lots of back and forth of them sending back documents that weren't suitable for something so small, mean while our current card has expired ds has a few ongoing conditions and needs medication!

Usually they extend the card while the application is ongoing, but this time the clueless inconsiderate b** have left a 9 year old without his necessary meds. Yes we can pay but hardly can afford hundreds of euros worth.

Anyone any experience with issues from the unit itself? Is there any way you got refunded?

No experience but didn't want to read and run. I'm guessing you've spoken to them. Assuming you have would it be worth contacting your TD?

Also, can you apply for a DPS card which would restrict it to €144 per month? Apologies if you can't do this, I've no idea if you can have a DPS card with a medical card.

If you're struggling to meet bills would SVP be able to help out or be able to help with advice re reclaiming.

I think it took us 6 months to get ours. Strategic incompetence is what they do.

Denied they had paperwork I sent them, so I sent them copies, months of stonewalling me and phone tennis.

I hate the HSE. Bloated box ticking Bastards.

Kick up a stink, go on Pat Kenny, Twitter, involve your TD. Grrr

@Yadda suppose I could contact my TD yes but it honestly makes no diff to them. My friend had the local mayor call on behalf to try expedite it and it still took just as long. The way they seem to work is nothing can be hurried up unless you're terminally ill

And yes I was thinking of signing up for that but can't get down to the local health office until next week dp is away working and ds will be In childminders

The place will have ground to a halt because of unforeseen circumstances like someone being on their holidays.

Ring Joe Duffy

Why are people required to have a medical card? Is it for people from the EU?

I'm from the US and not required to have one, I paid a mandatory NHS fee as part of my visa application so was automatically allowed to use the NHS.

Mine was taken away a few years ago when someone reported me. No benefit fraud, but there was a line in my address that can be left in or out (Irish postmen are amazing like that), and someone noticed that a HSE letter and a bill didn't quite match. My pharmacist gave me three months of free prescriptions while I was sorting out, and three months at the €144 cap. Once it was sorted they gave me a refund. I've no idea how as they sorted everything for me. I did go to my TD though because six months with a long term condition is taking the piss.

You should also check out the lti list as you may be able to get other items on the prescription once you get sorted.

@LeighaJ
It about Ireland. You get a medical card in you are on social welfare or have medical conditions and get free medical card and reduced prescription prices... €2 an item.

Ask at Pharmacy if they have the application forms for the DPS card - ours does. Thankfully they let me use the DPS amount when DM was ill as meds would have cost over €600.

They also said if the medical card issued within the month they would refund the €144 (as was). Unfortunately it wasn't

@LeighaJ no medical card is for irish health care

The only annoying thing about DPS which nobody knows is if you pay €144 a month you get nothing back it's only if you pay anything over the €144 in another pharmacy!

Thank you for clarifying that for me.

I wish I had helpful advice to offer.

It's simply horrible for them to not care whether or not a child gets the medicine they need.

@Bimgy85 that's why I always go to the same pharmacy.