Prescription Charges for over 60's

[nukecad]

It shouldn't affect most here but they sneaked this one out quietly last week:

"Consultation on aligning the upper age for NHS prescription exemptions with State Pension age"
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/c...te-pension-age

The consultation seeks views from the public, healthcare organisations and staff on options for implementing a change in the age at which people in England become eligible for free prescriptions from the current age of 60, to 66 years of age.

And then after consulting (very quietly) no doubt they'll do it anyway.

One option includes introducing a grace period meaning people aged 60 to 65 at the point of any change can continue to receive free prescriptions.

Only an 'option'? So they could just take free prescriptions away if you are already between 60 and 66?

They claim it's because people are living longer, but the real reason is of course they want the money

Prescription charges make an important contribution to the NHS budget. Between 2015 to 2016 and 2019 to 2020, prescription charges generated over £2.8 billion for the NHS, which has gone towards essential running costs for frontline services.

It is estimated this change could bring in up to £300 million more for the NHS by 2026 to 2027.

Of course it won't affect those in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland who don't have to pay prescription charges at all.

In light of covid and wanting to keep everyone as healthy as possible they should be scrapping prescription changes in England too.

Scrapping prescription charges in England would also save millions - because the administration (collecting, accounting, etc) of the charges would no longer be required.
I wouldn't be surprised if scrapping that administration would save more than the £300 million they would raise from charging pensioners until 66. (Although it would lose a lot more from general prescription charges).
Of course the NHS say "The total cost associated with the collection of prescription charges is not separately identifiable", it's amazing how these things are 'not seperately identifiable' or 'not recorded seperately' when they (government/DWP/NHS) don't want to say what they are, but they can find the figures when they want to.

[gus607]

My sentiments too nuke.

[buble48]

I heard about this too Nukecad, just my luck, as I approach that age.

I think if it's going to happen then they need to review the current list of conditions that currently passport patients to free
prescriptions. It seems to me to be a real lottery of conditions, rather than severity.

As someone that takes nine separate medications twice daily and who doesn't qualify for free prescriptions, I take advantage of the prepaid prescription which I pay for monthly over the year, which does save me a lot of money.

Although someone in their wisdom thought it a good idea to abolish the prepayment card (apparently because of the plastic) and replace it with a tiny scrap of paper that doesn't even state that it is a Prepayment Prescription. I would have thought in this day and âge electronic proof would have been available to pharmacies.

Of course it does feel rather unfair to be the only country to be actually having to pay prescription charges anyway.

[nukecad]

I qualify 3x for free prescriptions at the moment (maybe they should be paying me to take them?)

Exemption for condition (Eplilepsy) even though I don't take meds for it anymore because they would clash with my cardiac meds.
IR ESA.
Over 60.

It could have been 4 but I didn't bother renewing my HC2 last year, I only realy had that for travel to Newcastle hospital 100 miles by train.

[barbiejane]

If my husband had to pay for his then I'm sorry we just couldn't afford the meds.He has so much wrong with him that he has 14 prescripton meds to take daily being delivered every month.He also has inhalers to use when needed so that is another 3 to add to the list.A hell of a lot of money we'd have to pay out every month to keep him alive and out of pain.

I'm 66 in October and have 4 prescription meds to take daily so add that on to hubbys and it's even more money.

[gus607]

Just why do only the English pay ? United Kingdom my backside.