Medical exemption expires just before 60th birthday.....

Status
Not open for further replies.
rebrascora

rebrascora

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Pronouns
She/Her
Do I still need to renew it? It expires 19th Jan and my 60th birthday is 12the Feb. I have ordered the medication I need for this month, to be collected before the 19th, so I won't need anything until after my birthday. Am I right in thinking that I don't need to renew my exemption certificate because my prescriptions are free once I hit the big 60 or is it better to renew it regardless? I looked on the website but couldn't find this particular info. It seems pointless and just a paper chase every 5 years if I qualify for free prescriptions anyway through age, but maybe I am missing something!
 
rebrascora said:
Do I still need to renew it? It expires 19th Jan and my 60th birthday is 12the Feb. I have ordered the medication I need for this month, to be collected before the 19th, so I won't need anything until after my birthday. Am I right in thinking that I don't need to renew my exemption certificate because my prescriptions are free once I hit the big 60 or is it better to renew it regardless? I looked on the website but couldn't find this particular info. It seems pointless and just a paper chase every 5 years if I qualify for free prescriptions anyway through age, but maybe I am missing something!
Click to expand...
I didn’t get a reminder to renew mine, once I was 60, and I just ticked the 'over 60' box on the back of the paper prescription after that. (now it’s all electronic, I don’t even have to do that any more)
 
rebrascora said:
Am I right in thinking that I don't need to renew my exemption certificate because my prescriptions are free once I hit the big 60 or is it better to renew it regardless?
Click to expand...
I think that's right. You need the exemption certificate if you need to fill a prescription before you're 60, so provided you don't do that after 19 Jan and before 12 Feb you should be fine.
 
If in doubt I do nothing. But that's probably not appropriate for this one. Purely off the top of my head I would cover all bases and renew.
 
Thanks guys. I guess they must have just sent the reminder to renew because I have a very slight gap between the expiration and my birthday, but I have ordered my medication today and will collect my items on the 17th and then won't need anything more till the middle of next month, when I will qualify for free scripts anyway. It is reassuring to know that those of you over 60 don't bother with an exemption certificate any more. Cheers.
 
I still have to sign my prescriptions, they are delivered online to local Pharmacy, but they print off.
 
rebrascora said:
Thanks guys. I guess they must have just sent the reminder to renew because I have a very slight gap between the expiration and my birthday, but I have ordered my medication today and will collect my items on the 17th and then won't need anything more till the middle of next month, when I will qualify for free scripts anyway. It is reassuring to know that those of you over 60 don't bother with an exemption certificate any more. Cheers.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you're safe. Worst case scenario you might have to pay once. I don't take any risks when it comes down to getting my meds. But that's a bit different. The GP's surgery and various pharmacists have left me without meds numerous times one blaming the other. Not good.
 
As long as you do not pick up px between your cert expiring and turning 60 you will be fine
 
I would renew it myself! You won’t need any regular meds as you have already sorted them but it would be very annoying if you needed something like antibiotics in those few days! I know that would definitely happen to me!!!
 
Caroline1967 said:
I would renew it myself! You won’t need any regular meds as you have already sorted them but it would be very annoying if you needed something like antibiotics in those few days! I know that would definitely happen to me!!!
Click to expand...
That is a good point I suppose, but I could at least afford £10 to pay a one off prescription if necessary compared to the inconvenience of popping in to the surgery to collect a form, fill it in and then leave it for a nurse to sign and send off and then the cost of processing that form and sending me out a card. Feels like I am adding to their workload and my own when they don't need it, for the sake of 20 odd days without cover. I used to buy extra test strips and Libre before it was prescribed which was a lot more expensive, so the risk of a one off prescription during that time for the amount of processing the form would take, seems a bit petty, when I could find the money to pay if necessary.
 
I think my main concern was should I need it for the longer term perhaps in the circumstance that they increase the age limit for free prescriptions etc.
 
rebrascora said:
but I could at least afford £10 to pay a one off prescription if necessary
Click to expand...
If that does happen (and you can be bothered) you might be able to get a refund, but only if you ask the pharmacy for an FP57 at the time. (I doubt it's worth the bother if you just need one or items.)
 
rebrascora said:
I think my main concern was should I need it for the longer term perhaps in the circumstance that they increase the age limit for free prescriptions etc.
Click to expand...
That crossed my mind when I hit 60, they were threatening to raise all sorts of concessions to the pension age. My husband got his bus pass at 60, but by the time I got there, they’d raised it to ‘pensionable age' and I had to wait til I was 66. I’m now definitely in pension-land, so should be safe, but it was always at the back of my mind for those 6 years (7, for you, I assume, I just crept into the transitional provisions and didn’t have to wait til I was 67) that I might have to apply for an exemption certificate if they suddenly changed the over 60 rule.
 
Robin said:
That crossed my mind when I hit 60, they were threatening to raise all sorts of concessions to the pension age. My husband got his bus pass at 60, but by the time I got there, they’d raised it to ‘pensionable age' and I had to wait til I was 66. I’m now definitely in pension-land, so should be safe, but it was always at the back of my mind for those 6 years (7, for you, I assume, I just crept into the transitional provisions and didn’t have to wait til I was 67) that I might have to apply for an exemption certificate if they suddenly changed the over 60 rule.
Click to expand...
I guess I could just reapply for an exemption certificate if that was to happen. I worry less about the bus pass. The last time I travelled on the bus it was a scary experience (the driver seemed to accelerate and brake very harshly and I felt sick and anxious) so will either use car or my own legs or horse power, if push comes to shove. I am not a good passenger unless I know the driver well and trust them.
 
rebrascora said:
Do I still need to renew it? It expires 19th Jan and my 60th birthday is 12the Feb. I have ordered the medication I need for this month, to be collected before the 19th, so I won't need anything until after my birthday. Am I right in thinking that I don't need to renew my exemption certificate because my prescriptions are free once I hit the big 60 or is it better to renew it regardless? I looked on the website but couldn't find this particular info. It seems pointless and just a paper chase every 5 years if I qualify for free prescriptions anyway through age, but maybe I am missing something!
Click to expand...

Learn something new everyday @rebrascora , wasn't aware that your exempt after 60, being not far behind you it's handy to know.
 
rebrascora said:
I think my main concern was should I need it for the longer term perhaps in the circumstance that they increase the age limit for free prescriptions etc.
Click to expand...
a consultation happened re raising free prescription age in englandand it was decided not to...so they are unlikly to consider it again in near future
 
rebrascora said:
I think my main concern was should I need it for the longer term perhaps in the circumstance that they increase the age limit for free prescriptions etc.
Click to expand...
If they change the age for free prescriptions then it wont apply to you as already getting them free. I never applied for a new exemption certificate once I reached 60.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top