Because it does not depend on income, working families can get it too. A child with diabetes or epilepsy qualifies whatever the household earns.
Quick facts
- Cost
- Free for the listed condition
- Means test
- None
- Prescription charges
- None
- Conditions
- 16 listed
- Apply
- Form, signed by your doctor, to the HSE
The 16 conditions
- Acute leukaemia
- Cerebral palsy
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes insipidus
- Diabetes mellitus (not gestational diabetes)
- Epilepsy
- Haemophilia
- Hydrocephalus
- Intellectual disability
- Mental illness, for people under 16
- Muscular dystrophy
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinsonism
- Phenylketonuria (PKU)
- Spina bifida
- Thalidomide conditions
What it covers
"You do not have to pay for medication you are approved for under the Long-Term Illness Scheme. This includes any prescription charges."
"Other drugs and medicines not related to the specified condition must be paid for in the usual way." For those, the Drugs Payment Scheme caps what a family pays each month.
Appliances your doctor or occupational therapist prescribes come from your local primary care centre.
Who qualifies
"There is no means test for the long-term illness scheme." "You must be ordinarily resident in Ireland to qualify." That means living here and intending to stay for at least a year.
You can also have a medical card or GP visit card, depending on your circumstances.
How to apply
Get the form from your local primary care centre, download it, or call 0818 22 44 78.
"Fill in the form and get your doctor or consultant to sign it and provide a medical report."
Send proof you live in Ireland, such as a gas or electricity bill from the last 3 months, a recent bank statement, or a letter from Revenue. Post it to the Long Term Illness Scheme, Client Registration Unit, PO Box 12962, Dublin 11, D11 XKF3.
Common questions
Is the Long-Term Illness Scheme means-tested?
No. There is no means test. It depends only on having one of the listed conditions and living in Ireland.
Which conditions are covered by the Long-Term Illness Scheme?
Acute leukaemia, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus (not gestational), epilepsy, haemophilia, hydrocephalus, intellectual disability, mental illness in under-16s, muscular dystrophy, MS, Parkinsonism, PKU, spina bifida and thalidomide conditions.
Do I pay prescription charges on the Long-Term Illness Scheme?
No. Medication approved under the scheme is free, including prescription charges.
Does it cover all my medicines?
No. Only medicines for the listed condition. Others are paid for in the usual way.
Is type 2 diabetes covered?
The scheme lists diabetes mellitus and excludes only gestational diabetes.
How do I apply?
Fill in the application form, have your doctor or consultant sign it with a medical report, add proof you live in Ireland and post it to the Client Registration Unit.