Vol. 400 No. 9
201 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the alternative medicine treatments which are currently covered (a) on the medical card and (b) by the VHI; and the criteria which is being applied to decide on the recognition of these forms of treatment.
Persons holding a current medical card have entitlement to a general practitioner medical and surgical service free of charge as provided for under section 58 of the Health Act, 1970. General practitioners participating in the GMS shall provide for eligible persons, medical card holders, all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which generally practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess.
Services and treatments, other than those mentioned above, are not covered under the general medical service scheme.
Drugs and medicines which are considered necessary for any person receiving services under the scheme must be covered by a product authorisation and must be examined and accredited by the National Drugs Advisory Board.
The current Voluntary Health Insurance plans do not cover members in respect of alternative medicine treatments.
