I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 149, inclusive, together.
The Long Term Illness Scheme (LTI) arose from a non statutory scheme, established in 1967, to supply free of charge certain products to persons for the treatment of diabetes. A statutory scheme was introduced in 1971 under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970. It provides that a health board (now the HSE) may make arrangements for the supply without charge of drugs, medicines or medical and surgical appliances to persons suffering from a prescribed disease or disability of a permanent or long-term nature.
The conditions which have been prescribed are: mental handicap, mental illness (for people under 16 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.
From 1971, a separate scheme was introduced to refund the cost of drugs above a certain threshold for non-medical card holders. This evolved into the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) in 1999. Under this scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than €100 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. When the DPS was introduced, it was decided to continue the LTI for the conditions already covered, but it has not been extended and I have no plans to do so.
Where a person or their dependants have significant ongoing medical expenses the Health Service Executive may grant a medical card on a discretionary basis if it is satisfied that the level of expenditure is unduly burdensome.
The Medical Card (GMS) and Drugs Payment Schemes (DPS) are under ongoing review in the context of the need to obtain best value for money . There have been no specific discussions on the LTI between my Department, the HSE and the Department of Finance.
The table below outlines the numbers of persons who were eligible under the LTI in the years 2003 to 2008 and the actual number of persons who availed of the scheme in those years.
Year
|
No. of people eligible for LTI
|
No. of LTI claimants
|
2003
|
97,184
|
48,053
|
2004
|
93,504
|
50,526
|
2005
|
99,280
|
53,006
|
2006
|
106,307
|
53,082
|
2007
|
112,580
|
59,040
|
2008
|
120,918
|
66,943
|