GALWAY SENATOR WANTS HEALTH INSURERS TO ASSIST AMPUTEES

Date Published: 29-Jan-2009

A Galway Senator is calling on private health insurance companies to assist amputees who are struggling to meet the cost of maintaining prosthetic limbs.Recently VHI implemented cost changes which means amputees have to pay thousands more to cover the costs of their prosthesis.According to Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames, there are 4 thousand people in Ireland who have prosthetic limb, 1200 of whom do not have medical insurance.The Fine Gael Senator says one man from Oughterard says he will have to save 100 euro a week for the rest of his life to be able to afford a prosthetic leg.A rebate of more than 6 thousand euro used to be available in 2008 for the cost of prosthesis, but this has now been reduced to 1000 euro.