Long term illness costs

Tim Robbins

Hi,
My Dad has type two diabetes. He told me he never has to pay for his medication as there is something special for diabetics.

He also has a hernia and his medication for this is also covered.

I am on expensive medication for asthma and a hernia and spending almost 100 euro a month, which will ad up over a while.

Can anyone confirm it is the case that if you have diabetes you get medication for free? And if so, what other long term illnesses are covered?

Thanks.

tatli_lokma

not sure about the situation for diabetics, but in general if you are paying over €100 per month on drugs, and do not have a medical card then you should be eligible for the Drug Payment Scheme
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/entitlement-to-health-services/drugs-payment-scheme

Also, depending on your income and outgoings etc, you could also apply for a medical card. Many people think if you work you cannot apply, which is not the case - it is means tested so if you work, but your income less expenditure is under a certain limit you can still qualify.

Both instances would be worth looking into in your case - regardless of whether or not diabetics get a seperate allowance/scheme, since you don't have diabetes its not much good to you either way! But one of the above options may prove fruitful for you.

Good luck

BC

Diabetes is part of the long term illness scheme. Medication is free of charge (although one of the recommendations of an Bord Snip is to change that). Asthma is not covered under this scheme.

Details of the illnesses covered are here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/health-related-benefits-and-entitlements/long_term_illness_scheme

Just to echo the other post, make sure you are on the Drug Payment Scheme which means you don't pay more than 100 euro a month for meds. Also check out the revenue Med1 form as i'm sure you can claim tax relief on the 100 euro per month that you do pay.

Tim Robbins

BC wrote: »

Diabetes is part of the long term illness scheme. Medication is free of charge (although one of the recommendations of an Bord Snip is to change that). Asthma is not covered under this scheme.

Details of the illnesses covered are here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/health-related-benefits-and-entitlements/long_term_illness_scheme

Just to echo the other post, make sure you are on the Drug Payment Scheme which means you don't pay more than 100 euro a month for meds. Also check out the revenue Med1 form as i'm sure you can claim tax relief on the 100 euro per month that you do pay.

Thanks for that info. At the moment I am looking at 100 euro a month, after tax, between asthma and hernia.

Then I can claim back 20%.

Which means I am paying 80 quid a month.

I think what I will be doing is arranging a yearly trip to spain and stocking up as I can't afford this.

kowloon

Diabetics get the Long Term illness 'green book', free meds and supplies.

GER12

:DAlso have the right to A&E charges and admission charges if the admission is related to the condition....in OPD - opthamology and chiropody.

robinph

kowloon wrote: »

Diabetics get the Long Term illness 'green book', free meds and supplies.

Only for medication related to the diabetes though. You'd still have to pay for the asthma stuff and any other drugs in Ireland.

Not the case in the UK though where once you've got the one condition that gives you an exemption from paying it makes everything "free", if it's related or not.

The_Conductor

Current proposals are to wind up the LTI scheme and migrate all current LTI book holders onto either the DPS scheme or if this is considered to be too financially onerous- the medical card scheme.

Pharmacies get a 100% markup on LTI dispensing, versus a 50% markup on the DPS scheme, and a set sum on medical card dispensing.

There is a few reasons behind the proposals- aside from the headline markup on medications. There are many lifelong chronic conditions out there- that do not qualify for the LTI scheme- which have been making a strong case for inclusion (in some cases for several years). The implications of allowing some of these patients into the LTI scheme- and the costs of their medications, would cause the scheme to collapse altogether. Simultaneously- the trial whereby all cancer patients were automatically given a medical card- has been heralded as a success. Totally aside from patients clamouring to have chronic conditions allowed into the scheme- you also have a mushrooming of people presenting with conditions covered (such as type 2 diabetes) alongside some dubious dispensing under the scheme (for example- medication other than diabetic medication being dispensed under the scheme to diabetics- or dispensations to Crohn's Disease sufferers which describes their medications as chemotherapeutic medications (in many cases they may be dual purpose)).

So- the EUR100 a month scheme is expected to increase to EUR140 a month from Jan- and the LTI patients are expected to be migrated onto the pay-as-you-go scheme over time.

Not really a satisfactory solution for anyone.....

KiLLeR CoUCh

smccarrick wrote: »

So- the EUR100 a month scheme is expected to increase to EUR140 a month from Jan- and the LTI patients are expected to be migrated onto the pay-as-you-go scheme over time.

Not really a satisfactory solution for anyone.....

That makes me kinda sad. My household slips just above the threshold for a medical card. As the saying goes without your health you have nothing, but if the LTI scheme was wound down and at €140 a month it seems we'd have our health and nothing =/

locum-motion

smccarrick wrote: »

Pharmacies get a 100% markup on LTI dispensing, versus a 50% markup on the DPS scheme, and a set sum on medical card dispensing.

Now, I know that you know that that is untrue!
You contributed to the debate enough at the time of the pharmacy dispute to have learned the facts about what pharmacies used to be paid and what they are now paid.
Neither the old arrangements or the new ones have a 100% mark-up on anything.
L-M.

locum-motion

Tim,
Unfortunately the poster who said that the LTI doesn't apply to you is correct.
Asthma is not one of the specified illnesses for the LTI.
L-M.

Splendour

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Thanks for that info. At the moment I am looking at 100 euro a month, after tax, between asthma and hernia.

Then I can claim back 20%.

Which means I am paying 80 quid a month.

I think what I will be doing is arranging a yearly trip to spain and stocking up as I can't afford this.

Have you tried ordering your meds online?

BC

smccarrick wrote: »

Current proposals are to wind up the LTI scheme and migrate all current LTI book holders onto either the DPS scheme or if this is considered to be too financially onerous- the medical card scheme.

Do you have any information on what insulin would cost in a pharmacy if this was the case? e.g the price of a box of novorapid cartridges? My understanding was that insulin costs are huge.

tbh

is that not illegal?

edit: 1 box of 5 Humalog pens in Uruguay goes for $220

robinph

BC wrote: »

Do you have any information on what insulin would cost in a pharmacy if this was the case? e.g the price of a box of novorapid cartridges? My understanding was that insulin costs are huge.

I was charged about NZD$400 for a couple of boxes of two different types of insulin in New Zealand recently, I think that was the full costs of the insulin to them.

locum-motion

Splendour wrote: »

Have you tried ordering your meds online?

Internet pharmacy is illegal in Ireland.
Importing medication into Ireland is illegal unless you have an importation license from the IMB.

locum-motion

tbh wrote: »

is that not illegal?

Yes, it is.

The_Conductor

locum-motion wrote: »

Internet pharmacy is illegal in Ireland.
Importing medication into Ireland is illegal unless you have an importation license from the IMB.

Under the Mutual-recognition and Decentralised procedures, a consumer may purchase any medical product anywhere within the Single Market for personal use in any other Member state, providing said product has a valid national authorisation in the country in which it was purchased from (unless the product is subject to an EMEA centralised procedure, in which case the conditions attached to the centralised procedure apply). This obviously only relates to Intra-EU sales, and additional requirements may be requested- such as the sales requirements on the DRTHOM website (for example).

Article 58 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, deals with the importation of medicines intended for sale/marketing outside the community. The importation of medicines from outside the community- would be subject to an EMEA Article 58 eligibility request, and if intended for marketing in one or more member state, authorised for marketing by the national authorities in the respective member states.......

Its not quite black and white........

locum-motion

smccarrick wrote: »

Under the Mutual-recognition and Decentralised procedures, a consumer may purchase any medical product anywhere within the Single Market for personal use in any other Member state, providing said product has a valid national authorisation in the country in which it was purchased from (unless the product is subject to an EMEA centralised procedure, in which case the conditions attached to the centralised procedure apply). This obviously only relates to Intra-EU sales, and additional requirements may be requested- such as the sales requirements on the DRTHOM website (for example).

Article 58 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, deals with the importation of medicines intended for sale/marketing outside the community. The importation of medicines from outside the community- would be subject to an EMEA Article 58 eligibility request, and if intended for marketing in one or more member state, authorised for marketing by the national authorities in the respective member states.......

Its not quite black and white........

Medicinal Products(Prescription & Control of Supply) Regulation 19 (2): 'A person who is the owner or occupier of any premises shall not use or permit the use of any such premises for the RECEIPT, collection or transmission of orders or correspondance in connection with the supply by mail order of medicinal products.'

The courts have previously determined that internet pharmacy is included in the definition of mail order.
Note that in the case of a person ordering a medicine from another jurisdiction, while it may (or may not be) legal in that jurisdiction for the person abroad to send it to you, it is illegal in this jurisdiction for you to recieve it. And it's also illegal for you to transmit an order.

Also, unless you have been granted the relevant importation license by the IMB, it is illegal to import medicines into Ireland.

So, sorry, smcc, but it IS quite black and white.


(What you're talking about above is if a consumer walks into a pharmacy abroad and purchases a medicinal product for their personal use.)

tbh

this came up a while ago when we were discussing the subject of internet only pharmacies. I contacted the Irish Medicines boards, and this is what they said:


Thank you for your query.

The legislation applicable to the supply of prescription only medicinal products by Internet supply in Ireland is the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003-2008. This prohibits the mail order of prescription only medicinal products. As such the website mentioned by you would be in breach of Irish legislation if it supplied such medication into Ireland.

In addition, we are advised that the Internet pharmacy mentioned by you is a licensed pharmacy by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and that it will only supply to persons holding a UK National Health Service prescription or a private prescription from a doctor in the UK.

The IMB and Revenue Customs Service actively police the importation into Ireland of medicines by Internet supply and detain the consignment without providing any compensation.

If you require any further information please let us know.

Regards

DrIndy

In summary - online ordering or mail ordering prescriptions from any other country (including the EU) = illegal.

Going to a doctor in another country and getting a prescription filled there and bringing it back (so long as it is for your own personal use) = legal.

Hence you can go to spain, see a doctor, fill a script and bring it back legally. But you cannot order it online from spain and wait for mr postman.

drzhivago

Splendour wrote: »

Have you tried ordering your meds online?

would strongly advise against that route

The Spanish trip option if using pharmacies may work out cheaper but you have the costs of the trip

The_Conductor

Thread temporarily closed pending clarifications.