Claiming pharmacy cost back.

jeffk

My Mam is a diabetic, so she has to get a load of tables once a month. I’m wondering if she keeps her receipts from the (I suppose you’d call it) tax, can she claim it back?

FluffyCat

Diabetes is covered by the LTI so there isnt a charge.

If she is paying for some reason you keep receipts and get a med1 form from the pharmacy at the end of the year to claim tax relief

jeffk

FluffyCat wrote: »

Diabetes is covered by the LTI so there isnt a charge.

If she is paying for some reason you keep receipts and get a med1 form from the pharmacy at the end of the year to claim tax relief

So she gets that form @ the end of the year and then if shes eligible she wont have to pay for the coming year?

FluffyCat

jeffk wrote: »

So she gets that form @ the end of the year and then if shes eligible she wont have to pay for the coming year?

No. People with diabetes have an LTI book and an LTI number. The HSE supplies these. Generally the diabetes clinic gives you a form to send to the HSE.

On the LTI scheme the patient does not pay for any diabetic meds.

If your mother is paying then I dont understand why.

If you pay the DPS 120 euro a month then you can claim back tax relief depending on your wage. But its only tax relief, only a small sum.

But like I say your mother shouldnt be paying any money so I dont understand what scheme she is getting them under.

jeffk

FluffyCat wrote: »

No. People with diabetes have an LTI book and an LTI number. The HSE supplies these. Generally the diabetes clinic gives you a form to send to the HSE.

On the LTI scheme the patient does not pay for any diabetic meds.

If your mother is paying then I dont understand why.

If you pay the DPS 120 euro a month then you can claim back tax relief depending on your wage. But its only tax relief, only a small sum.

But like I say your mother shouldnt be paying any money so I dont understand what scheme she is getting them under.

Sorry I should have said it more clearly in the original post. She was paying the 120, then she became eligible for a medical card and in turn free drugs. But then the government added the 50c tax per box etc.

SO i was wondering cant she claim back those 50cs, it around 50 a year, but i don't think long term people should be made pay anything.

FluffyCat

Ahhh I get you now.

Normally diabetic meds are supplied LTI with no cost at all to the patient.

If the patient is eligable for medical card then the diabetic meds are switched to that ( I think it cheaper for the HSE that way)

Unfortunally the 50c stands regardless of what med it is and you cant claim this back. Its capped at 10 euro a month but thats it.

So she would have to switch to the LTI scheme to get free meds.

Ask you doctor about that cause you need a special form half filled out by them and yourself and sent to the HSE.

But if your mother has the medical card then Im not sure if they will do that. Like I said I think its cheaper for them.

jeffk

Great stuff thanks for the help, ill say it to her to ask the doc when shes over there.

Shes right in saying 5ish is better than 120, but its me who hates to think she has to pay for a long-term illness.

FluffyCat

Well there are a lot of other long term illnesses that arent covered by the LTI scheme and people just have to pay! Myself included!!

The whole 50c thing is to combat waste which is huge in this country and to make people think twice as to wheather they need the meds or not eg not to stockpile. I think its also to make doctors a bit more careful when prescribing. Several drugs are made in combination so that may be options for people.

I think though, with the recession and such 'free' wont be a word any of us will be hearing again for a long time!

jeffk

FluffyCat wrote: »

Well there are a lot of other long term illnesses that arent covered by the LTI scheme and people just have to pay! Myself included!!

The whole 50c thing is to combat waste which is huge in this country and to make people think twice as to wheather they need the meds or not eg not to stockpile. I think its also to make doctors a bit more careful when prescribing. Several drugs are made in combination so that may be options for people.

I think though, with the recession and such 'free' wont be a word any of us will be hearing again for a long time!

Thats ridiculous, people shouldn't be made pay full wack or anything for full long term illness. Like unless people say look Ireland pays for this and come over to take advantage of it.

When you put it like that, it can stop that but then the genuine ones suffer as usual :mad:

Ah dont get me going on that, there is so much in my eyes that is wrong, id be here all day listing it.

Nonoperational

If your eligible for a medical card you CANNOT go back on the LTI scheme. She has to pay 50 cent per item and that's that. No way around it nor should there be. Great idea and the vast majority of people have no problem paying it. Your saying she pays around €50 a year that's less than €1 per week for all her medicines. That's some bargain.

jeffk

gpf101 if it was purely a finical matter yes, its a matter of looking @ a person stuck with an illness that they didnt ask for and now are being asked to pay for the privilege.

Again I don't want to comment any further on the logistics and right and wrong of it, I was curious could she clam it back as she heard somewhere you could.

graflynn

gpf101 wrote: »

If your eligible for a medical card you CANNOT go back on the LTI scheme.

All persons with diabetes are illegible to have a Long Term Illness book, regardless of having a medical card - you can double check this with your local health centre.

There should be no problem switching your diabetes medical supplies back to the LTI scheme.

Many people have both because you may be on a medication that doesn't relate to your diabetes and therefore won't be covered by the LTI, so you use your medical card for that and for the cost of medical services (such as GP visits).

More info on LTI here http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Long_Term_Illness/

More about Medical Cards here
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Medical_Cards/

Kurtosis

graflynn wrote: »

All persons with diabetes are illegible to have a Long Term Illness book, regardless of having a medical card - you can double check this with your local health centre.

There should be no problem switching your diabetes medical supplies back to the LTI scheme.

Many people have both because you may be on a medication that doesn't relate to your diabetes and therefore won't be covered by the LTI, so you use your medical card for that and for the cost of medical services (such as GP visits).

You have it the wrong way around now. Due to changes brought in last year, people who are entitled to both an LTI book and medical card must get all items covered on the medical card prescribed on this, while anything not covered on the medical card should be prescribed in their LTI book.

It's worth keeping in mind that while a number of conditions entitle you to a long term illness book, there are plenty of other long term illnesses that are not covered and people with these have to pay €10 on the medical card or €120 on the drugs payment scheme every month.

Nonoperational

graflynn wrote: »

All persons with diabetes are illegible to have a Long Term Illness book, regardless of having a medical card - you can double check this with your local health centre.

There should be no problem switching your diabetes medical supplies back to the LTI scheme.

Many people have both because you may be on a medication that doesn't relate to your diabetes and therefore won't be covered by the LTI, so you use your medical card for that and for the cost of medical services (such as GP visits).

More info on LTI here http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Long_Term_Illness/

More about Medical Cards here
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Medical_Cards/

Completely incorrect. If a person has a medical card then the diabetic medication has to be prescribed on this. It even states this in the link you posted! Stop posting incorrect information as fact. It's misleading people.

graflynn

The following information is from http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Long_Term_Illness/

"What is the Long Term Illness Scheme?
If you have certain long-term illnesses or disabilities, you may apply to join the Long Term Illness Scheme and you will be supplied with a Long Term Illness book. This book allows you to get drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of your illness, free of charge. It does not depend on your income or other circumstances
and is separate from the Medical Card Scheme and the GP Visit Card Scheme.


If you already have been given a Medical Card, you do not need to apply for a Long Term Illness book. If you become ineligible for a Medical Card at any stage, but have one of the medical conditions below, you should apply to join the Long Term Illness scheme to cover the cost of your medication.

• Acute Leukaemia
• Mental handicap
• Cerebral Palsy
• Mental Illness (in a person under 16)
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diabetes Insipidus
• Muscular Dystrophies
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Parkinsonism
• Epilepsy
• Phenylketonuria
• Haemophilia
• Spina Bifida
• Hydrocephalus
• Conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide"

I would like to point out that the HSE says that the LTI scheme is separate to the Medical card and GP card and that the word "need" does not mean or even imply that you are not allowed to have both.

I respect the expertise of the previous poster but I still believe that I'm correct in my opinion.

So, if people are in a situation where they are in doubt about their entitlements they should contact their local community welfare officer and find out for themselves.

Kurtosis

graflynn wrote: »

I respect the expertise of the previous poster but I still believe that I'm correct in my opinion.

So, if people are in a situation where they are in doubt about their entitlements they should contact their local community welfare officer and find out for themselves.

While I respect your opinion, it is just that, simply an opinion. None of the information you have posted actually supports your point. At the end of the day, it is the PCRS (part of the HSE) that determines what medicines they will pay for under the various schemes.

The PCRS have instructed pharmacies that patients with dual eligibility for medical card and LTI book must get all items that can be covered on the medical card on medical card prescriptions. If a pharmacy were to put through a patient's medicines under the LTI when the patient also has a medical card, it is likely the PCRS would reject this claim and so while the patient doesn't pay their 50c an item, the pharmacy would not be paid for any of the medicines they supplied.

There is an information line the HSE operate in relation to the 50c prescription tax that may be a source of more information for the OP: 1850 24 1850

nesf

graflynn wrote: »

• Mental Illness (in a person under 16)

The single most bull**** entry on that list. Bipolar and Schizophrenia are for life, not for Christmas etc.

-Corkie-

Does ulcerative colitis or crohns disease automatically entitle you to a medical card or the lti book.