The McCarthy Report (also knows as Bord Snip) is proposing the abolition of social welfare entitlements for optical and dental benefits.
To find out what this means, click here to read on.
The most vulnerable in society are being hit again!
Most working people pay into the social welfare fund, and until now, this has allowed them to claim optical and dental benefits. This meant an eye test covered by the social welfare fund and money towards the cost of spectacles. In many cases, this meant free eyecare. The McCarthy Report is now proposing to do away with this.
Eyecare is all about prevention. The majority of the funding for PRSI entitlements for spectacles is used by the elderly. With the removal of the 'age' medical card entitlement, this further eroding of healthcare is one more step towards a reduced service that many will be unable to afford.
Early detection and treatment for conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and macular degeneration will be denied those most at risk, because the government has so badly mismanaged the economy.
There are therefore two things that you should do. First, contact politicians and counsellors (or if they come to your doorstep, have a nice chat with them) and tell them how wrong this is. There are plenty of other places cuts could be made without putting the health and vision of the vulnerable at risk. Secondly, if you have entitlement under the PRSI scheme, there has never been a better time to avail of that than now - in case the government take away your entitlements.
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