Vol. 577 No. 3
431 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason persons with permanent disabilities are means tested for medical cards; and the reason the card has to be renewed each year, when the same information is going on the form on a yearly basis. [30805/03]
The determination of the eligibility of an applicant to a medical card is, by legislation, a matter for the chief executive officer of the local health board.
Regular reviews of the General Medical Services list of patients take place in all health board areas. These reviews are necessary to ensure that the patients continue to be eligible for GMS services and to satisfy public accountability obligations. The frequency of such reviews and the manner in which they are conducted, are matters for the boards themselves.
