DEFIANT; Government ignored as just 1,500 out of 20,000 pensioners return medical cards.

Byline: BY PAT FLANAGAN 

ANGRY pensioners are defying the Government by refusing to give back their medical cards, it was revealed yesterday.

The HSE has confirmed just 1,500 of the 20,000 OAPs Health Minister Mary Harney believes are no longer eligible for the entitlement have returned them.

Many older people do not want to break the law but fear they will have no medical cover if they give theirs back.

Age Action yesterday called on the Government to scrap the controversial decision to remove this automatic entitlement to the over-70s.

Spokesman Eamon Timmins claimed older people with medical conditions fear they could not survive without accessing services through their card.

He said: "With increasing demand for medical cards, they fear they may not get a general medical card on grounds of need or financial hardship.

"The fact that less than 10 per cent of the estimated number have handed back their cards is the result of a number of factors which must be addressed.

"The medical card is a gateway card to access a range of services such as public health nursing, which you can't buy in the private sector."

Age Action also revealed many over-70s with the entitlement have not yet been contacted by the HSE.

Others are refusing to hand back theirs as they are furious at the way the Government removed their entitlement in Finance Minister Brian Lenihan's emergency Budget. Mr Timmins said: "The decision to remove the automatic right to an over-70s medical card must be reversed.

"If the Government decides to press ahead, it must provide more information about the scheme, organise an extensive public information campaign and assist those with individual queries."

He said many older people believe they may be refused a GP-only card due to the limited number of cards available and because of the financial crisis.

Mr Timmins added: "This is a completely unacceptable situation and one which is an inevitable consequence of the Government's refusal to listen to the concerns of older people."

Confusing policy

BRIAN Lenihan sparked outrage when he abolished the automatic right to a medical card for the over-70s in his October Budget.

Around 140,000 OAPs had to calculate their income to see if they were still entitled.

But the Government caused confusion by changing the card entitlement limits several times after massive street protests.