Michael Collins urges automatic medical cards for cancer patients
Michael Collins spoke in the Dáil about the impact of cancer on families and called for an automatic medical card to be issued to all cancer patients for the duration of their treatment. He thanked the Irish Cancer Society, urged public support for a Cancer Society event on Friday and highlighted recent funding for cancer services.
He proposed that anyone diagnosed with cancer should receive a medical card automatically for the duration of their treatment, arguing this is the very least the state can do as patients face severe disruption to their lives.
He described how a cancer diagnosis turns lives upside down: people cannot work but still have bills, childcare and mortgages to pay, and additional costs make access to a medical card crucial for many families.
He said that while previous modifications issued cards to some terminally ill patients, assessment should be flexible and go beyond income thresholds. He cited other serious illnesses such as motor neuron disease, dementia and chronic cardiovascular disease as examples where similar considerations apply.
He noted ongoing investment in cancer centres across the country and said Cancer Connects has received funding for the first time. He added that he had pushed in the previous government with the then minister to create permanent funding for cancer centres and praised the Irish Cancer Society for its advocacy and service provision.
He asked colleagues in the Dáil whether they would support the proposal for automatic medical cards and urged the public to back the Cancer Society's upcoming Friday event in support of those affected by cancer.
Automatic medical cards proposal
He proposed that anyone diagnosed with cancer should receive a medical card automatically for the duration of their treatment, arguing this is the very least the state can do as patients face severe disruption to their lives.
Patient financial pressures
He described how a cancer diagnosis turns lives upside down: people cannot work but still have bills, childcare and mortgages to pay, and additional costs make access to a medical card crucial for many families.
Assessment and flexibility
He said that while previous modifications issued cards to some terminally ill patients, assessment should be flexible and go beyond income thresholds. He cited other serious illnesses such as motor neuron disease, dementia and chronic cardiovascular disease as examples where similar considerations apply.
Funding and praise for services
He noted ongoing investment in cancer centres across the country and said Cancer Connects has received funding for the first time. He added that he had pushed in the previous government with the then minister to create permanent funding for cancer centres and praised the Irish Cancer Society for its advocacy and service provision.
Appeal to colleagues and public
He asked colleagues in the Dáil whether they would support the proposal for automatic medical cards and urged the public to back the Cancer Society's upcoming Friday event in support of those affected by cancer.
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Transcript
Everyone in this Dáil has had someone close to them suffer from cancer at one stage or another. As I stand here today I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Irish Cancer Society and to all who work and care for those suffering from cancer. This Friday is definitely and I hope people come out and support Cancer Society in whatever way they can. A cancer diagnosis turns people's lives upside down. Their daily routines change completely. They cannot work and they still have bills, childcare and mortgages to pay. The very least we can do in this state is ensure that anyone diagnosed with cancer receives a medical card on behalf of those who suffer from cancer. I am independent Ireland and once again calling for an automatic medical card to be issued to all cancer patients for the duration of their treatment. Would you support this proposal? What has happened in the past is that there was a modification where those terminally ill and I know that is not a great message either in terms of the allocation of medical cards and I think government is sympathetic but then I think would have to apply to all. I mean there are different forms of illnesses like motor neuron for example and dementia and others chronic cardiovascular disease which could be. So I think the principle of that has been advanced so far I think we're on the ground I think every case should be assessed and that flexibility should be there and adaptability not just through the income threshold prism alone but also in terms of the medical information and so on that could be so that people could get access to the medical card. Because I said fully what you're saying in terms of additional costs. Now we are investing heavily as you know in the cancer centres across the country for the first time ever. Cancer Connects for the first time ever getting funding which all helps patients irrespective of income and that's the first time ever that has happened and I insisted on it in the last government with the then minister Stephen Donnelly that we would for the first time ever create permanent funding for a lot of cancer centres and I'm going to praise the work of the Irish Cancer Society for the work that it does in advocacy and in service provision Deputy Mark Ward