Limerick East): 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 guidelines are revised annually in line with the Consumer Price Index. 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. Medical cards may also be awarded to individual family members.
I have had inquiries made of the Eastern Health Board concerning this case and have been assured that the application was considered on hardship grounds. However, as the person's income was substantially over the standard income guidelines the health board considered that the applicant would not be entitled to a medical card on hardship grounds.
Non-medical card holders are entitled to all in-patient public hospital services subject only to modest statutory charges and to out-patient services free of charges. They are also entitled to a refund of expenditure, including that of dependants, over £90 per calendar quarter on prescribed drugs and medicines.
Every person who is in genuine need of a medical card must receive one and I am satisfied that health boards give sympathetic consideration to applications when the circumstances warrant it.
