Vol. 553 No. 2
524 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has given a firm com mitment to add asthma on the long-term illness card scheme; when this can be expected; if it is specifically mentioned in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13253/02]
People suffering from one of the following conditions, who are not already medical card holders, may obtain drugs and medicines without charge for the treatment of that condition under the long-term illness scheme: mental handicap, mental illness, for persons under 16 years only, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, parkinsonism and acute leukaemia.
People who cannot, without undue hardship, 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, the chief executive officer has regard to the applicant's financial circumstances. Health boards use income guidelines to assist in determining eligibility. However, where a person's income exceeds the guidelines, a medical card may be awarded 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, and people with conditions not covered under the long-term illness scheme, can use the drugs payment scheme. Under this scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than €53.33 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.
An Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to extending medical card eligibility in line with the recommendations of the national health strategy and, further, to review cases for the extension of both the medical card and long-term illness schemes.
