Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was staggered to read over Christmas that after 47 days of being issued, a hospital bill for cancer patients who do not have a medical card or private health insurance inpatient charges of up to €800 had not been paid. After a year of treatment such as chemotherapy or radium therapy, the patient is referred to a debt-collection agency under the HSE policy. Cancer has taken over from heart disease as the most common cause of death in Ireland. We are sending debt collectors to these patients' houses. That is unacceptable and heartless.

Children younger than 18 years who have been diagnosed with cancer within the past five years are automatically entitled to a medical card. The HSE has a system in place for the provision of emergency medical cards for patients who are terminally ill, in palliative care or who are seriously ill and in urgent need of medical care that they cannot afford. These are issued within 24 hours of the receipt of the required patient details and the letter confirming the condition from a doctor or medical consultant. All cancer patients, regardless of prognosis should be automatically approved for a similar medical card. Cancer patients can be given a discretionary medical card but there are no common rules for applying for the discretion and there are serious delays in the application system. My office is dealing with an incredible number of patients who are finding it extremely difficult to get approval. Meanwhile, the hospitals do not apply the same delay and send demand letters promptly.

When patients receive a diagnosis of cancer, they should never see a bill for their treatment and we should be able to assist people to access treatment abroad without their having to resort to loan sharks, crowd-funding or begging. This is a very serious issue. There are many people who are sick with cancer who are constantly fighting for medical cards but they are not getting them. We need to address the money because it all boils down to money. Access to medical cards depends on what applicants are earning. If they are barely over the limit, they get no help. Every cancer patient should have a medical card. I will raise this matter with the Minister for Health. I have raised it with him before but so many people called my office over Christmas that I became very concerned. We need to address this issue.