‘Shaken’ By Financial Strain: Cancer Patient Calls For Immediate Medical Card Access

Friday, 28 February 2025 10:49

By Martin Osborne

Along her journey, Claire met other cancer patients left completely "broke" with very little support.

Cancer patients should be given medical cards as soon as they are diagnosed.

That's according to local woman Claire, whose name and voice has been changed to protect her identity.

Claire, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, said the struggle for support during her treatment added to the immense stress she was under.

She said the only help she received was from the Marie Keating Foundation, but she had no response from Saint Vincent De Paul despite contacting them twice.

In an emotional interview on Kildare Today, Claire said she felt compelled to contact Kfm to highlight her story following a discussion in our morning newspaper segment.

She said getting a cancer diagnosis can be the "scariest time of your life" and you should not have to worry about keeping "the lights on" when you are undergoing treatment.

Along her journey, she met other cancer patients left completely "broke" with very little support.

Her husband had to take time unpaid time off work, leaving the family without a reliable source of income.

She said the experience has left her "shaken".

She said she cancelled her health insurance last summer because it became too expensive and that she had never had a reason to use it.

Meanwhile, Bernard Mahon, a lecturer in Maynooth University from Celbridge, told a conference this week how his health insurer could not cover the cost of the drug for his cancer.

"I had to rob the money we put aside for my son’s wedding," he said.

He had to pay up to €8,000 for a six-week dose of drugs to treat his cancer.

Following a public campaign, his health insurer agreed to provide him with the drug on compassionate grounds.