asked the Minister for Health the number of registered medical card holders in the Western Health Board area; the number of reviews that have been carried out in 1978; and the number and percentage that have been refused continued eligibility as a result of these reviews.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Western Health Board Medical Card Holders.
18.
On 30 June last, the latest date for which the quarterly figures are available, there were 104,758 current medical cards in the Western Health Board area, covering 61.4 per cent of the population.
In the first nine months of this year 21,837 medical cards, or 21 per cent of the total, were reviewed, excluding cards cancelled where the holder died or left the district; 1,426, or 1.4 per cent of the total number of cards were not renewed on the grounds that the holder's means had improved and 2,975, or 2.8 per cent of the total were cancelled because the holders did not proceed with their applications.
Is it the position that approximately 4 per cent of medical card holders in the Western Health Board areas had their cards withdrawn?
That is not accurate. I am dealing only with cards brought in for review. The important matter is that 61.4 of the people in that area are covered.
I appreciate it is higher than the national average but is it right that certain people should have their cover withdrawn? The Minister told the House yesterday that people in the North Western Health Board area had their cards withdrawn.
The Deputy knows it is the duty of health boards at regular intervals to review the list of medical card holders. I do not think he would wish some people to be given an unfair advantage over others if their incomes have improved substantially and if they can afford to provide for themselves in the matter of health services. I am not aware that this review has caused any hardship or that it has been done in any unfair way or that there has been any volume of complaint about it. It is a normal, regular review.