Medical Cards are not issued to Children/Teens with Crohn’s and Colitis based on their Lifelong Illness
Sample Medical Card
The H.S.E. does not recognise IBD as a lifelong disease which means many families endure years of hardship paying for expensive medicines, diet and nutrition. There are many external services these children need from toddlers to transitioning teens. The financial implications of psychologists, nutritionists, dental and physiotherapy where a medical card has not been issued can impede greatly on their quality of life.
Medical cards are issued to cover some medical expenses. They cover doctors visits, medicines, hospital charges etc.
The medical card is means assessed. They need information on income. They also need information on mortgage payments, mortgage protection payments, house insurance and information on house improvement loans. This information is used to get a truer picture of your income.
Should you not be entitled to a medical card based on your income you can get a medical card allocated to your child based on their medical condition. Currently you have to apply for a medical card for your family. When you get turned down they send the form to a supervisor to assess based on medical need.
The card is valid for 2 years. Income information has to be updated at that time.
Click HERE to Find a Service
Updates from 25th July 2013-Click on this link to hear Audio from Tony O’ Brien, HSE
Click the button to comment on access to an L.T.I. card (Long Term Illness) for kids/teens with IBD
New Governance Arrangements announced for Health Services
Health Service Directorate formally established and replaces existing Board of HSE –
– Tony O’Brien formally appointed as Director General of HSE –
– Directorate members announced –
– Regional Directors of Performance and Integration (RDPIs) announced –
As part of Future Health, the Government’s reform programme for the Irish health service, the Minister for Health, James Reilly T.D., signed into effect a number of changes to the governance arrangements of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
These changes take effect from today, Thursday 25 July 2013.
Amongst the changes to governance announced is the disestablishment of the existing Board of the HSE and the formal establishment of the Health Service Directorate. In effect, the Directorate will replace the Board of the HSE.
Director General Designate of the HSE since July 2012, Tony O’Brien, has also been formally appointed by Minister Reilly as Director General of the HSE and Chairman of the Directorate.
A number of National Directors have also be appointed to the Directorate by Minister Reilly. These include Laverne McGuinness, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director General; Tom Byrne, Chief Financial Officer; John Hennessy, Director Primary Care, Ian Carter, Director Acute Hospitals; Pat Healy, Director Social Care; Stephen Mulvany, Director Mental Health; and Stephanie O’Keeffe, Director Health and Wellbeing.
The Integrated Services Directorate (ISD) of the HSE, which currently has responsibility for the delivery of all health and personal social services across the country including hospital, primary, community and continuing care services, will cease to exist. Responsibility for service areas currently within ISD transfers to the newly established Service Divisions. This process will allow the HSE to move towards a commissioning environment within a Healthcare Agency. The newly established role of Chief Operations Officer will have primary responsibility for overall performance management across the entire service, for service planning, and for ensuring that services are delivered in an integrated and co-ordinated way across all areas.
In parallel with these changes, four Regional Directors for Performance and Integration (RDPIs) have been appointed. These are David Walsh, HSE Dublin Mid Leinster; Angela Fitzgerald, HSE Dublin North East; Gerry O’Dwyer, HSE South; and Gerry O’Neill, HSE West.
The RDPIs will play a key role in the performance and integration of services at regional level, and ultimately will act as commissioning/contract managers within the Healthcare Agency. They will also, on an interim basis, take on the full range of delegated operational responsibilities currently held by the Regional Directors for Operations (RDOs), reporting directly to the relevant National Director for individual service areas.
Mr. Tony O’Brien, Director General of the HSE said: “The governance changes announced today are a further important step in the reform programme for the Irish health services which sees a more accountable architecture being put in place for the many important services that we deliver to so many people throughout the country. These changes follow other recent significant developments in health including the announcement of the six hospital groups.”
Listen to an interview with Tony O’Brien, HSE Director General.
Please document your journey down this road and email it to us at info@gutsykids.ie, each story will help in our long-term objective for a long term illness card for these children.
