Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 November 2012
209. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the reason more than 7,000 medical card holders aged over 70 years in County Donegal were recently written to by the Health Service Executive and informed that their cases were being reviewed despite previous assurances that they would be renewed in 2015; the way he intends to address the concerns that have arisen from the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51784/12]
View answerThe HSE operates a standard practice whereby medical cardholders aged over 66 years are reviewed every 4 years in order to ascertain whether the person still qualifies for a medical card. From 1 January 2012 the length of validity for all standard medical cards for people under 66 is reviewed every three years. An examination of the national medical card database, held by the HSE, has found that some medical cards have expiry periods of more than 4 years.
On foot of the national database examination, the HSE has identified about 7,000 medical cardholders throughout the country that have not been reviewed for over 10 years. The HSE has started to contact these individuals.
