Medical card patients claiming expenses

[Patounette]

Recently my Mum who is 87 with medical card paid for her cataract operation as the waiting list was so long. Can money paid be claimed back from HSE or other Government body? Her and my Dad's only income is the Old Age Pension.

 

[Feemar5]

If your mum went to a private hospital here I doubt if she can get anything - if she went abroad the HSE have a scheme -
see
https://www2.hse.ie/services/cross-border-directive/about-the-cross-border-directive.html

 

[odyssey06]

Your parents could claim the cost as a MED1 expense next January, and receive 20% tax credit refund - but if their only income is state pension they are unlikely to have paid enough taxes for this to make sense.
If you could pay for them and claim the receipts under your MED1, assuming you have paid sufficient tax in 2019, you would receive the 20% tax credit.
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/...nd_reliefs/taxation_and_medical_expenses.html