People who are unable without undue hardship to arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. Eligibility for a medical card is solely a matter for the chief executive officer of the relevant health board to decide. In determining eligibility for a medical card, the chief executive officer has regard to the financial circumstances of the applicant. Income guidelines are used by health boards to assist in determining a person's eligibility. However, even though a person's income exceeds the guidelines, the 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 issued to individual family members on this basis.
Non-medical card holders can avail of the drug payment scheme which was introduced on 1 July 1999 with a threshold of £42 per individual or family unit. Under the drug payment scheme no individual or family unit pays more than £42 per calendar month towards the costs of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme is designed to be user-friendly and to significantly improve the cash flow for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines. I am satisfied that adequate arrangements are in place to meet the needs of persons with asthma and others with ongoing medical expenses.