Vol. 506 No. 5
135 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will examine in greater detail the case for Addison's disease to be a designated illness under the long-term illness scheme in view of the fact sufferers in need of daily replacement treatment with cortisone are faced with medi cation bills of £42 under the new scheme for life. [16111/99]
141 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason Addison's disease has been dropped from the long-term illness scheme; if it will be restored in view of the fact this is a life threatening and long-term condition which needs daily treatment and sufferers have very heavy pharmacy bills if they are not covered under the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15704/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 141 together.
There are 15 illnesses covered under the long-term illness scheme and the scheme has not been extended since 1975 having regard to the fact that the needs of individuals with significant or ongoing medical expenses are met by a range of other schemes which provide assistance towards the cost of prescribed drugs and medicines. I should also explain that Addison's disease has never been included in the long-term illness scheme.
Persons suffering from an ongoing condition can avail of the drug cost subsidisation scheme which caters for people who do not have a medical card or a long-term illness book and are certified as having a medical condition with a regular and ongoing requirement for prescribed drugs and medicines. Persons who qualify for inclusion in this scheme do not have to pay more than £32 in any month on prescribed medication. Under the drug refund scheme, families and individuals pay the full cost of their prescription medicines and may, at the end of the quarter, claim reimbursement from their health board for expenditure over £90 in that calendar quarter.
The new drug payment scheme will replace the drug cost subsidisation scheme and the drug refund scheme, with effect from 1 July 1999 with a monthly threshold of £42. The new scheme will effectively merge the best elements of the two existing schemes and is designed to significantly improve the cash flow situations of families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines. The fact that the drug payment scheme will operate on a monthly basis has distinct advantages over the current drug refund scheme. Under the drug refund scheme, a family or an individual may, for example, in one month have expenditure of say £80 but no expenditure in the other two months. They would not have been entitled to a refund. Under the new scheme, they will only have to pay £42 in the month.
There are no qualifying criteria for inclusion in the drug payment scheme. This is in contrast to the drug cost subsidisation scheme where patients must be certified by their doctors as suffering from a condition requiring ongoing expenditure on medicines in excess of £32 per month.
