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AN ADDITIONAL 14,000 carers have been made eligible for free GP services by the Health Service Executive.
The announcement was made by Minister for Health Simon Harris, who urged carers to apply for the new service after registration opened on Sunday.
The service applies to those who receive carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit, but who do not hold a medical card.
Making the announcement, Harris said that carers were the backbone of every community and provided vital supports for their loved ones.
“This initiative allows us to now provide carers with the health supports that they require,” he said.
“Availing of a GP visit card will enable the additional eligible carers to access GP services free of charge ensuring that their own physical, mental and emotional well-being is protected.”
Moira Skelly from Dublin, who cares for her daughter Ciara, said caring was a full-time job, and welcomed the move.
“Having access to free GP services is a step in the right direction,” she said. “It gives me one less thing to worry about.”
Carers can register for the service at mymedicalcard.ie, and paper registration forms are also available online or from citizen advice centres.
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Great, total respect for carers, being a carer is so much more difficult than doing a 9-5 job or being a parent, you rarely or never get any thanks, more and more people have dementia and need someone to look after them and if you are the husband or wife you take on the responsibility, 24/7. I saw how my mam looked after my dad for years, I would try to come home for a few months to help but she did such a better job than I ever could have.
Good news for carers, but be weary if the application process. There might be a modern webpage, but behind it is the slowest, haphazard mess of a process that the public service could offer. I have some colleagues that lost their jobs in January, received confirmation that they are eligible for a medical card in March, and then in June received a notice that their application had “timed out” in the middle of discussions by snail mail. They’ve reapplied (with exact same documents) and still waiting. Shockingly poor.
@Gulliver Foyle: why would you apply online only to send the document required by snail mail? Surely uploading them would be quicker.
@neuromancer: Apparently, after you apply online, you have to forward bank records, mortgage details and signed agreement from a candidate doctor (if you had a previous GP who doesn’t do GP cards) by mail. In this case, they requested them, even though the applicant had already uploaded them. To make it more ridiculous, they downloaded the PDFs from the medicard website, printed them, and sent them back.
Never assume anything with the public service.
@Gulliver Foyle: you can take photos of them and send them via email.
Carers are a very deserving group I agree but this is a cynical vote-buying exercise by the government. If they really cared about carers, they’d give them full medical cards which would give access to a wide range of services such as counseling, medications, physio, dental care, public health nurse etc. GP cards just provide free GP access and they are cheap for the government to pay for. It is general practice that will pick up the slack on this one while Simon Harris poses for his photos and takes the plaudits. Don’t be fooled!
Being a carer is tough. Im a full time carer for.my husband who has severe dementia and psychosis. Other than a day center twice a week, i do it all alone. The carers allowance is pittance and isnt enough for all our needs. My husband gets state pension. After all our bills are paid, there is nothing left for anything extra including getting outside help. It doesnt exist for us. The government couldn’t care less for carers cos if they did, the carers allowance would be more. We as carers save the government a fortune by caring at home. I love my husband and thats why i do it
@Helen Kiely-O’Regan: Fair play Helen. It’s a huge amount of work and takes a lot of love and dedication to take that on
So now ,are the backbone of any country,according to Simon Harris minister for health,,well minister start paying them a proper amount of cash,for the work they do,they are the backbone all right,in some cases they are that tired after looking after their parents and are paid buttons,Its a 24 hour seven day week,no social life,so instead of praising them PAY THEM PROPER WAGES SO AS THEY HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES
@James Mc Loughlin: My best friend is a carer and I can honestly say it’s a daily struggle for him. Hes a real stand up guy whos doing all he can for his mother while putting his own life on hold. Hes a young man and its a massive commitment. The 15 hour a week limit on outside work is also terrible on those who can do a bit extra if their service users are in day centres or sleeping.
If they’re registered caters, why do they have to apply?
While I think it’s great that those on Carers Benefit who have to give up work to care for a loved one will get a well deserved card, still no movement on actually paying carers fairly for their contributions to society and they work involved. Carers receive begrudged paltry compensation in return for long hours worked, near constant stress, isolation, and often compromising their own mental and phyical wellbeing. And many receive no compensation at all. The person who has to give up work for more than 2 years to care for a loved one but has another means of income exceeding a means test gets no weekly payment after the 2 year mark. They aren’t doing any less than the carer who meets the criteria but are expected to do it for free. That person will not receive this card.
@Carol Oates: it is absolutely disgusting the way this disgraceful government treats carers they should be ashamed of themselves but unfortunately they are too far up there own backside to be ashamed of the way they treat those great people
Nothing but respect for carers but if I ever knew I would get to the stage that I would not know who I was or what I was doing i would be all for euthanized, I mean you are just a shell at that stage whats the point?…..each to their own but I think folks should have the option.
Don’t worry. Be happy.
Are they going to be means tested
have your say