Medical Card in Wicklow

FluffyCat

Has anyone applied for a medical card in Wicklow recently? I applied in August and rang last week to see what the story was. I was told due to the Swine Flu I shouldnt hold my breath!!

Has anyone else experienced this? I dont want to ring again, they are a bit snotty on the phone!

I have an out of date prescription, in need of new glasses and offically have no medication left. I'm not sure how much longer I can go without my asthma inhalers and stuff but I have no money to pay for everything!

Is there anything else I could do to hurry things along?

fend

I would absolutely ring up again. If they get snotty with you, get snotty right back at them!

Explain your situation to them and explain that you literally have zero medication and run the risk of other health problems without them. Demand to be considered asap. Its a way with words really that gets you places.

locum-motion

One of the main problems in politics in this country is the parochialism of our TDs; they're supposed to serve the interests of the country as a whole and not just the interests of those that promise them a vote.
It's a massive flaw in the system, and IMO is borderline corruption*, but in this case you can get that flaw to work in your favour.
Call your TD now. Explain the situation to him/her. Tell them you will vote for them next time if they help you, or will vote for whoever will do them the most damage next time if they don't help you. They'll be quick enough getting on the phone for you, and it's fcuking shocking how often I hear of people's applications being speeded up (or at least, the person thinks that it was speeded up but actually maybe it was just their turn) following their intervention.
(And, following all of that, next time vote for whoever you want anyway. The TD has no way of knowing if you actually followed through on your promise/threat!)

In the meantime, have a quiet word with your pharmacist. They might be willing to let you stagger payments so that it's easier to pay. And, if you're not already, you should register for the DPS and the most your meds will cost you is €100 per month.

{* I know this should really be in 'Politics', but in my opinion it is corruption if an elected representative, in return for a vote:
a) helps a person get anything to which they're not entitled.
b) directs resources away from any person in any queue in order to bump another person up that queue.
It's not quite corrupt, but definately dishonest, if they imply to you that their intervention got you the Card, but where you would have got it anyway.}

LegacyUser

Not sure if this is the right place for this , but need some comments on this :


I wonder really how much the rules and regulations and discretion comes into the issuing of medical cards.

I recently had a discussion with a co-worker regarding this and she agreed that though she has a medical card she feels the system is wrong.

We work in a community centre and while I am employed by the centre itself in a full time position my co-worker is employed under a Community Services Programme CSP and has been for the past 8 years.
She is not married but is co habitating with her partner who also works in the CSP programme.
She has one child, and neither of the three of them have any ongoing medical condition and they are in a rented local authority house, her partner has a van from work so they do not have expenses in relation to travel /work etc.
Before I go on these are the facts as given to me by my co-worker.

My co-worker and I are on the same salary and my take home pay is €666.04 per week, I am married , my husband is unemployed and as he was self employed he does not receive any benefit, our mortgage is 290.00 per week , we have a car which i use to travel to work each day. I do have a drugs payment card for an ongoing condition (not serious) and I am grateful for this, however after a recent bout of illness and paying €50 per doctor visit and the first €100 for medicines, we found it difficult for a few weeks.

To get to my point my co- workers take home pay is more than mine as she does not pay the levy because she has a medical card because she is under the CSP programme, now I cannot see how this is fair ? How can the health board justify giving a household with a take home pay of approx €1200.00 per week (this would be my co-worker and her partners take home pay and they pay €97.00 rent per week)
My co-worker showed me the paperwork that shows that when you move from unemployment to CSP that you retain your secondary benefits , but she and all others on this programme have retained them for the past 10 years.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Skittlers

locum-motion wrote: »

One of the main problems in politics in this country is the parochialism of our TDs; they're supposed to serve the interests of the country as a whole and not just the interests of those that promise them a vote.
It's a massive flaw in the system, and IMO is borderline corruption*, but in this case you can get that flaw to work in your favour.
Call your TD now. Explain the situation to him/her. Tell them you will vote for them next time if they help you, or will vote for whoever will do them the most damage next time if they don't help you. They'll be quick enough getting on the phone for you, and it's fcuking shocking how often I hear of people's applications being speeded up (or at least, the person thinks that it was speeded up but actually maybe it was just their turn) following their intervention.
(And, following all of that, next time vote for whoever you want anyway. The TD has no way of knowing if you actually followed through on your promise/threat!)

In the meantime, have a quiet word with your pharmacist. They might be willing to let you stagger payments so that it's easier to pay. And, if you're not already, you should register for the DPS and the most your meds will cost you is €100 per month.

{* I know this should really be in 'Politics', but in my opinion it is corruption if an elected representative, in return for a vote:
a) helps a person get anything to which they're not entitled.
b) directs resources away from any person in any queue in order to bump another person up that queue.
It's not quite corrupt, but definately dishonest, if they imply to you that their intervention got you the Card, but where you would have got it anyway.}

Very well put Locum and very True what you say..You can be sure if
you are not entitled to it THEY will not get it for you.They may be able to speed up process if you are entitled thats about it..You will also get a lovely letter in the post before Election time Reminding you they helped you get something that you were entitled to anyway..I would keep ringing
medical card office also just to let them know im not giving up..

LegacyUser

I know how you feel.

I send through my documtation twice now and going for the 3rd time lucky. Each time I ring they say that nothing was received in the post by me.

I am also running low on my inhailers and can not afford to get my thyroid medication for the second month running.

madliz

oh you poor thing, MOD EDIT

i would phone them everyday and get on to them about it.

psycho-hope

Molly May i had the same problem they lost the stuff I sent them, your best bet would be either registered post or if you can get someone to drop it to glenside road, finally found out last week that im getting mine back for a year, but havnt got it in the post yet, so still had to pay to see gp last week