Smear Tests No Longer Covered by Medical Card

by Eoin Dubsky Tue Mar 16, 2004 13:00

Thank you, Joleen, for posting this on Indymedia. I know that some Irish journalists who write for mainstream publications check the site regularly, and I hope they'll follow up this story.
In France I believe they practically pay you to get regular smear tests. Its complete idiocy for a state to make such early-warning checks against cancer and STDs more expensive. What are the government playing at?

by Caitriona Tue Mar 16, 2004 15:23

This is the first time I've heard about this-not only do women have to wait for 4 months for the reults of a smear, (even in the case of there having been irregular cells detected in previous results), but now those who hold a medical card will be forced to pay. I have just enquired about Well Woman Clinics and medical card holders are still covered-I wonder if this has come from pressure from G.P.s. as a result of the very long waiting time for results. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease-if detected and treated-in time.

by pat c Tue Mar 16, 2004 17:28

But hundred of millions in tax concessions go to the horse breeding sector. how sick can you get. c'mon everybody bring this to the attention of every journalist you know & write letters to the papers about it & hassle your TDs & councillors and kick up mayhem! picket "health" board meetings etc.

by cat Tue Mar 16, 2004 17:36

if this is why smears not covered by medical cards:

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2003/10/14/story153014770.asp

then shouldn't smear tests be covered again for 2004 with the commencement of a new fiscal year? or am i looking at this way too simplistically?

by pat c Tue Mar 16, 2004 17:46

its a matter of life & death. its not some kind of cosmetic test. lack of money is no excuse. the subsistence expenses of health board members would cover the shortfall in this area.

its unacceptable that for even a sjhort duration, that medical card holders should be denied this test.

by cat Tue Mar 16, 2004 18:12

looking at the Irish Cervical Screening Programme Ireland website www.icsp.ie, it says all services provided are free.

so i spose it would be the logical thing to do to register with the ICSP and get sent for free smears and not pay the doctor for visits? wouldn't make a difference if a person had a medical card or not then, i presume-anyone know for sure? anyone feel like ringing them?

is there such a scheme for men to register for free prostate etc tests?

by pat c Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:59

not sure if theres a free scheme for that, must check up. but i have come across some stats from the US NIHs re cervical & prostate cancer.

where localised prostate cancer is detected at an early stage and treated, 100% of victims were still alive after 5 years.

where localised cervical cancer is detected at an early stage and treated, 96% of victims were still alive after 5 years.

by Chekov Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:35

Just talked to a GP from a deprived urban area. The Doctor confirms that smears are not covered by the medical card, but 2 years ago the health board advised the practice to perform smears on the medical card and they would be re-imbursed. 2 years later they have not received a penny from the health board and it appears that they will not. I guess that this is why the practice mentioned in this report has now decided to withdraw the service. This type of deception is apparently quite a common practice by the health board and is one of the reasons for the extremely poor relationship between GPs and the health board.

by pat c Fri Mar 19, 2004 17:40

England has come a long way in improving cancer survival rates in the past 30 years but still does not match up to Europe and the US, a report says. The National Audit Office found cancer rates have risen by 31% since 1971, but death rates have fallen by 12%. It also showed a regional difference with people more likely to die of cancer in the north than in the south.

*Full story & some interesting links at:

by Jessamine Sun Mar 21, 2004 14:37

I went for a smear test 7 years ago, in Dublin7, and was charged for it -even though I had a medical card- and also never even recieved the results. That was their standard practice then; maybe other regions did it for free/gave out results? Concidering the 'health' system has no interest in health (womens' or otherwise), it shouldn't be a surprise..