This is one of the projects that this years Dip in the Nip is funding in Our Lady of Lourdes Oncology Unit in Drogheda, for that very reason. Only one of the insurance companies (Aviva) insure it. And although it only benefits about 200 people a year (out of 2,800 diagnosed with breast cancer each year) the cost per person of just over €3,000 needs to be compared with the approximately €11,500 that chemotherapy costs.

so when FG’s James Reilly promised the money would follow the patient, he was excluding public patients!

Sad fact of life that your health care depends on your social status and your wealth.

wow that’s a great discovery. nothing worse than having chemo ‘just in case’, when it may not be necessary. there are probably short-term and long-term side effects to having chemotherapy (i’m no expert though).

Typical Ireland government, get the poor to bale out the rich and then leave them to die.

So one health system for the rich and another for the rest of us. Fine Gael and Fine Fail same difference.

There was a reason why the US rejected the Dutch model flagged up by FG. It made people sicker the lower your income.

Its the same old rationale, society – our collective lives- are reduced to arithmetic economics
This is Dr James O Reilly who live in a 13 bedroom mansion on a 150 acre site, subsidised by our taxes.
http://www.thejournal.ie/minister-and-wife-claim-tax-breaks-on-13-bed-moneygall-mansion-127346-Apr2011/

Poor people deserve to die. That is the take home message here! What a Dump of a country.

This is a disgrace. From now on all Government wasted expenditure should be expressed in multiples of €3,200, i.e., how many women would have benefited from this test if the money had not been wasted.

money talks,

Oh God….bloody money again i see.
Its dreadful for those who draw the short straw.
i long for Ireland to take a stance and NOT go the American way…we should cherish all people equally.
awful news this. give with one and take away with the other.

Your wealth is your health

They tend to hold the “cheaper when dead” philosophy for us cancer patients. So there is a price on life and it depends on whether your private or public patient.

Sick.

While we complain about a two tier system we still buy health insurance and allow this to continue. Its a crime against humanity to allow one die for lack of money and help one live because they have money/healthcare. As long as we accept this by not taking action as a people,it will continue, as will the complaining. Ireland needs to realise that our destiny lay in all our hands,not only the elite.

Just saw the real report on the RTE news. No final decision has been taken yet and a figure at which the test becomes cost effective has been put forward. The HSE are in negotiations presently with the test manufacturer with the hope that the figure can be reached.

So we are giving millions of euro to cancer research yet when they come up with something that can actually save lives we can’t use it , can this research money not be used to subsidise the cost of the medicine as well ?

some people are unreal, I lost my business in the recession and almost my house. I was out of work for 2 years and am now working for minimum wage trying to keep a roof over my head, paying back loans to banks who don’t care about people and only barely able to keep done on the table, I’ve paid taxes for years and had health insurance but now can’t afford it so does that mean I should be dumped on the scrap heap if I get sick!

This is such a backwards country

Randy when someone gets sick..life falls apart..their job is usually first to go..after that it’s a vicious circle.
I hope you never experience hardship..I really really do!
You are without compassion, a horrible and selfish person

Jesus.Only in ireland could this happen.Funny how the dail is out for the summer and FG cant answer any questions.Maybe its time we all contact our TDs and see what they have to say.It look likes the same old crap from FG,all talk and no action when it comes to our welfare.

Randy where do you think the tax for booze and cigs goes ?

And jolly chappie paying your 26 euros a week
Well maybe you should go and tell all the kiddies lying in cancers wards around the country to
Do without their toys and while your at it the babies ward is there too pop in there too
I cant believe you even think that way, you know there are people who
Have lost their jobs that cant afford health insurance And they have paid taxes while they were working
You want to
Get your head outta your arse

Don’t you just love our health system

Well said spillinkuz !

My health insurance costs me 26€ a week if people decided to cut down on booze, smokes or other luxuries they could easily find the money. Im sick of being made to feel guilty for valuing my health and paying for it. In this world you pay your way thats life.

@ made from what randy is saying , yes ….and also bear in mind your a toerag too.
Great words coming from someone who worked since they was 14 ( is that not illegal?) oh and went to uni at the same time