Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2004
134 Dr. Twomey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action she intends to take following a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Health and Children to include persons with post polio syndrome on the long-term illness scheme; her plans for this group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31798/04]
View answerUnder the 1970 Health Act, a health board may arrange for the supply, without charge, of drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances to people with a specified condition, for the treatment of that condition under the long-term illness scheme, LTI. The conditions are: mental handicap, mental illness — for people under 16 years only, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, parkinsonism, conditions arising from thalidomide and acute leukaemia. Parkinsonism, acute leukaemia, muscular dystrophies and multiple sclerosis were added to the scheme in 1975. The LTI does not cover GP fees or hospital co-payments.
Prior to 1971, there was inadequate provision for assistance to people with large ongoing medical expenses. The purpose of the LTI scheme was to protect patients with a specified condition from excessive drug costs, by providing free drugs and medicines to treat that condition only. Following the establishment of the GMS scheme in 1971, to provide free treatment for those who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange to provide it for themselves and their dependants, various co-payment schemes have been introduced to provide assistance towards the cost of approved drugs and medicines for people with significant ongoing medical expenses, without restriction to the treatment of a particular condition.
Since 1999, non-medical card holders and people with conditions not covered under the LTI have been able to use the drugs payment scheme, DPS. Under this scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than €78 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The monthly threshold is due to increase to €85 from 1 January 2005. In light of the protection from excessive drug costs provided by the GMS and DPS schemes, there are no plans to amend the list of eligible conditions under the LTI.
The provision of health services to people with physical and sensory disabilities, including polio survivors, is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards. My Department is to provide additional ongoing funding of €300,000 in the current year to the Post Polio Support Group for the provision of aids and appliances, therapy services and other supports to people with post polio syndrome. The group's needs will be reviewed further in light of the resources available to my Department for development purposes in 2005.
In accordance with the commitment in Sustaining Progress, my Department will conduct a strategic review of existing service provision for people with disabilities. Questions of access to aids and appliances and respite care that have been raised by the Post Polio Support Group will be examined as part of that review.
