Mary O'Rourke
Question:75 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if he will request the Midland Health Board to review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who urgently seeks a medical card. [20901/96]
Written Answers - Medical Card Eligibility.
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 Midland Health Board concerning this case and have been assured that the application has been reviewed 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 entiteld to a medical card on hardship grounds. Should the circumstances of the applicant change a fresh application would, of course, be treated in a sympathetic manner by the health board. 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.