Vol. 439 No. 4
23 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health if he will classify those who suffer from spinal cord injuries as entitled to receive a medical card under the long-term illness scheme as most are paralysed and confined to a wheelchair; and if he will take the necessary action to ensure that where a person who suffers from spinal injuries obtains employment, it does not result in loss of the medical card.
141 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health if he has received a submission from the spinal injuries action association to have spinal injury added to the long term illness scheme; if so, if he will consider this submission favourably; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
142 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including spinal injury resulting in permanent irreversible confinement to a wheelchair as one of the conditions that would qualify for a long term illness card; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
143 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Health if he has received representations from the spinal injuries action association regarding the difficulty that people with spinal injuries have in qualifying for and retaining medical cards; and if he will issue an instruction to the health boards to ensure, where health boards are satisfied that the injuries are of a permanent nature, that medical cards are automatically issued.
145 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health if he has received a submission from the spinal injuries action association requesting that the long term illness scheme include spinal injuries; if he will consider this submission favourably; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 141 to 143, inclusive, and 145 together.
I have received correspondence from the spinal injuries action association concerning medical cards for persons with spinal injury and requesting that spinal injuries be included as a condition which would qualify under the long term illness scheme. I will deal first with the question of medical cards.
The determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. Under the Health Act, 1970, medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board, are unable, without undue hardship, to provide general practitioner services for themselves and their dependants.
Income guidelines are drawn up by the chief executive officers to assist in the determination of a person's eligibility and these are revised annually in line with the Consumer Price Index. Assessment is based on gross income less PRSI deductions. However, these guidelines are not statutorily binding and even though a person's income exceeds the guidelines, that person may still be awarded a medical card if the chief executive officer considers that the person's medical needs or other circumstances would justify this.
