Vol. 572 No. 2
14 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of extra people now holding medical cards as a result of the over 70 medical card initiative; if all of these people are entitled to home help provision and equipment regardless of means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22585/03]
Information from the GMS payments board for September 2003 indicates that the total number of persons aged 70 years and over covered by the medical card scheme is 308,617.
Persons aged 70 years and over have automatic eligibility to a medical card, solely on age grounds, since 1 July 2001. It is not possible to definitively state the number of persons who have benefited solely as a result of this measure, since data on the number of persons who would have qualified, on means grounds, if the budget initiative had not been introduced, is not collected. However, the higher capitation rate payable for newly eligible persons aged 70 years and over 70 years from 1 July 2001 is presently being paid to general practitioners in respect of 89,895 persons.
The provision of the services of a home help and equipment are not routinely available to medical card holders. Decisions on entitlement to such services are made following individual assessments of need carried out by health boards.
