From Nellie Maçon.
AT the time of the Senatorial elections I was taken to task by Senator Paul Routier, who was then in charge of Social Security, for making it known that under the new Low Income Allowance people were not going to the doctor when they were ill because they were unable to afford it.

Senator Routier stated categorically to me that under the Low Income Scheme people would get all the free doctors’ appointments they required. If they needed more than four each year, then their GP simply had to write to Social Security and they could go as often as they needed to, free of charge.

This is completely untrue. Persons on Low Income Allowance are charged a percentage of their allowance for each appointment and the number of appointments is pre-determined, generally by the number of times they visited the doctor in the previous year.

Senator Routier introduced free prescriptions for everyone, including those that can well afford to pay £1.50 per prescription, while introducing a charge for each doctor’s appointment for those who cannot afford to pay this – an amount being deducted from their Low Income Allowance at source each month for the number of subsidised (not free) visits that Social Security has decided they require.

So, if by chance they were pretty healthy in 2008 but become ill in 2009 and require more than four (subsidised) visits to the doctor, they won’t qualify for any extra. Under HIE those on welfare had free prescriptions and as many free doctors’ appointments as necessary.

I trust that the new Low Income Scrutiny Panel will look into this travesty as people such as myself would be more than happy to pay the former £1.50 prescription charge if it meant that our elderly and vulnerable local people did not have to worry about the cost of going to the doctor.

I note that a new attempt is being made to increase our contribution towards Overseas Aid. How can this be justified when our needy are having to pay for medical treatment? It’s time we got our priorities right!
Beau Regard,
Plat Douet Rd,
St Saviour.

Senator Paul Routier, the former Social Security Minister, replies:
‘Mrs Maçon appears to be missing the point that people who have an agreed medical need will receive additional income support payments to cover the cost of the additional visits. When the patient needs the doctor the fee is paid out of the household’s own medical account which is added to when needed. Effectively if the patient has an agreed medical need the cost is covered by Income Support.

‘If a patient needs more visits in 2009, they, or their GP, can tell the Social Security department about the extra medical need and the Income Support claim will be adjusted straight away to give them the additional financial help that they need.

‘While Mrs Maçon is prepared to pay £1.50 for her prescriptions, it should be noted that the previous average subsidy of £8.50 per prescription left a co-payment of £2.10 to be paid by a patient. Now that the subsidy has been increased to an average of £10.60 the patient pays nothing.

‘While some may feel that they are able to pay the £2.10 I was aware that there were many elderly people and families with young children who did not qualify for HIE and had difficulty paying in some cases for multiple regular monthly prescriptions which were costing them £10 to £15 per month. The old HIE system did not reach many people with chronic illnesses who faced paying multiple prescription fees.’