Minister Reilly welcomes HSE Medical Card information campaign

The Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has today (Wednesday, 30th October 2013) welcomed the launch by the Health Service Executive (HSE) of its plans to enhance communications on the issue of medical cards and to ensure the public has all the information it needs on the matter.

Public concern on the issue of medical cards has been heightened in recent times and in response to a request by Minister Reilly, the HSE has devised a wide ranging plan to improve the provision of information to the public about medical cards.

Commenting on the initiative Minister Reilly said “People need full information around medical cards. They are naturally worried and become anxious when they can’t get full access to all the facts they need. I welcome this major campaign being rolled out by the HSE over the coming weeks which I hope will help explain clearly people’s entitlements and may ease the fears of those who have been worried unnecessarily. No one who is entitled to a medical card need worry. Despite the significant savings to be made by the HSE in the year ahead, nobody who is entitled to a medical card will lose it or be refused one.”

The Government is committed to ensuring that the public will have all the relevant facts they need, in particular comprehensive information about the expenses they are entitled to have taken into account for medical card eligibility.

Today the HSE has provided details of its plan which include; providing extra resources to the national Call Centre for public enquiries, a public information campaign through media advertisements, the development of a key new Information Leaflet, improved support on the HSE website, wide ranging training for front line staff and more. The roll out of this campaign is scheduled over the next period, with some elements already actioned already.