| NL - Task Force Linschoten advice Wtcg criteria for children only |
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| Written by Carla |
| Saturday, 30 January 2010 00:01 |
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On a day with such good news (Reeves’ exit and Clara Valverde’s book coming out) I am sorry to have to report a less positive issue. Last week, very enthusiastic, I published the information regarding the State Secretary’s decision to recommend M.E./C.F.S. as a chronic illness in the next parliament session. There is good news and bad news: In a letter to the press, State Secretary Bussemaker reports that this recommendation turns out to be ONLY for children with CFS. Pediatricians seem to keep a classification list, on which ‘CFS’ appareantly is a category (we now wonder if M.E. is on that list as well, please read on). Clinical specialties such as Neurology, Rheumatology do not even have ‘a list’ to categorize adult CFS patients in. They either fall into one of the specialty’s regular subcategories and can claim the Wtcg benefits based on that (or based on the fact that they receive a (partial) disability pension) or not…. Patients who have been dismissed by specialists and receive no disability pension therefore seem to fall between the cracks… SEEM to fall between the cracks, because a diagnosis of M.E. will grant you the Wtcg rights! Patients with the diagnosis CFS only fall between the cracks. We all agree that there are probably different subtypes of M.E./C.F.S. patients, we also have to agree that there are too little clinical experts to even differentiate them. They are not in The Netherlands… or maybe 1… Although we have a number of ‘CFS specialist centers’ in The Netherlands, I do wonder if they care to differentiate patients when they diagnose them and line them up for the ‘only therapy proven useful’ …. The good news… Regardless of the diagnosis M.E. or C.F.S., the children will have rights to extra benefits soon. Sources: Frank Twisk Reaction to developments regarding CVS and Wtcg Steungroep ME/CVS en arbeidsongeschiktheid: 27 januari 2010: Erkenning CVS als ziekte met hoge meerkosten geldt alleen voor kinderen. The me-cvs foundation released a press message February 8th: Verbijstering, Bussemaker trekt toezegging aan mensen met ME/CVS in. |