Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012
998. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if an examination of medical card holders is being carried out to ensure that it takes account of medical card holders who have emigrated; if he will explain the process if any, and the savings that will be made from the cancellation of cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47336/12]
View answerPersons that are issued a medical card have a legal obligation under the Health Act 1970 to inform the HSE when they may no longer be entitled to hold a medical card. One requirement for the medical card is that the person is ordinarily resident in the State. Where a medical card is invalidated by the holder's circumstances, but the card holder has not informed the HSE, the State continues to make unnecessary capitation payments to General Practitioners under the General Medical Services' Scheme.
As part of its control strategy, the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) identified in the region of 120,000 card holders where there had been no activity recently. PCRS is carrying out a review to look at a subset of cards that have been inactive for a period of 24 months or longer. It has asked the cardholder to confirm that he or she continues to be ordinarily resident in Ireland. The results are awaited
