asked the Minister for Health if he will alter the existing procedure applying to applications for medical cards, whereby applicants are assessed on their gross income, to ensure that all future applicants are assessed on their net income.
Written Answers. - Medical Card Eligibility.
139.
Under the provision of the Health Act, 1970 medical cards are issued to persons who are unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants.
The determination of eligibility in individual cases is a matter for the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. In order to assist in determining eligibility and to ensure uniformity of decisions in all areas, income guidelines have been adopted. These guidelines are based on gross income. If the guidelines were based on net income without any expansion of eligibility, this would require a lowering of the guidelines. This would tend to favour persons with larger incomes.
If the current guidelines were to be applied on net income this would involve a considerable expansion of eligibility. An additional cost of some £15 million a year would be involved and in the current economic climate this would not be possible.
I do not, therefore, intend to alter the existing procedure.