Venesection costs for haemochromatosis patients described as 'unfair and exorbitant', writes PRISCILLA LYNCH
THE IRISH Haemochromatosis Association (IHA) has written to Minister for Health James Reilly to voice its concern over the axeing of a plan to provide three free-at-point-of-care walk-in clinics for venesection treatment this year.
Haemochromatosis patients need regular venesection (taking of blood) to remain healthy and keep their iron levels in check.
In the letter, seen by The Irish Times, IHA chairwoman Ms Margaret Mullett said it was a “huge disappointment” that despite the stated commitment by the Minister and the HSE to open three the clinics by 2012, this is now not going to happen.
Ms Mullet expressed “deep concern” that there has been no improvement in equity of access to venesection or of treatment, or resolution of the cost difficulties, for haemochromatosis patients.
She noted that despite haemochromatosis being a life-long chronic illness, it is not automatically covered by a medical card unlike some other conditions.
“Instead of that, there is a many layered, deeply flawed, highly inefficient and unnecessarily expensive system for access to and payment for treatment,” she wrote.
Medical cardholders receive venesection treatment free of charge, but have to attend hospital for treatment as GPs are not currently reimbursed by the HSE for this procedure. Non-medical cardholders pay €75 per treatment, up to a ceiling of €750.
Those with private health insurance may receive treatment from GPs but often get treated in hospital, which is more expensive for the health insurer.
A Limerick patient recently contacted the IHA to say their insurer has paid more than €3,000 for venesections, while a Cork member said their insurer paid €12,325. Another man who had 120 treatments estimates that his insurer paid €92,000 on his behalf.
Ms Mullett wrote that in Limerick it is almost impossible for patients to receive the necessary venesection treatment as the Midwestern Regional Hospital is closed to referrals and patients are being advised to attend Ennis and Nenagh hospitals.
She said some Limerick GPs would be prepared to take blood in their surgeries if there was a system in place for disposing of the blood and appropriate remuneration.
There is also a successful pilot haemochromatosis clinic operating in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, with 500 attending patients, where healthy blood from these patients is treated and can then be used by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
Ms Mullett wrote that it would make sense to set up more of these clinics. “It would make life easier for all, reduce costs to both the State and the private individual.”