Eligibility for a medical card only exists for so long as a person continues to meet the criteria set out in the Health Act 1970, as amended. The legislation requires a person to notify the HSE of any change in their circumstances, such as income, expenditure, medical or social issues, which disentitles them to a medical card. In practice, very few people do so. As a result, the HSE has an obligation to take measures to ensure that the medical card register is as accurate as possible and that its voted budget is being spent appropriately in the medical card scheme.
All card holders, irrespective of the basis on which the card was awarded, may be subject to a periodic review of eligibility to determine continuing eligibility. Each person eligible to a medical or GP visit card receives a plastic card on which a "valid to" date is printed. This is the latest date that a review may be conducted in respect of that person. Notwithstanding the "valid to" date printed on the card, the HSE reserves the right to review eligibility at any time and to take appropriate action in circumstances where the cardholder no longer fulfils the criteria for eligibility under the medical card-GP visit card national assessment guidelines.
Persons who have been granted a medical card under the financial hardship provisions of the medical card scheme are required, when the subject of a review assessment, to submit all relevant and up-to-date details. This is necessary so that the HSE can make a correct determination of continuing eligibility. Where an applicant indicates on a review application that medical evidence has been previously submitted relating to a life-long medical condition, and this has been confirmed by the HSE, the HSE will not request further medical evidence in this regard. The applicant will, however, be required to submit all other information material to a review assessment.
