The Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS), which processes all medical card applications and renewals, does not hold the statistics requested by the Deputy.
PCRS does not routinely hold data relating to a person’s medical condition. This is because the medical card scheme is a means tested scheme. Under the Health Act, 1970, as amended, the HSE awards medical cards to persons that are unable, without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and their family.
The Act obliges the HSE to take account of the overall financial situation of the applicant and dependants. Therefore, a specific illness or disease is not a basis for automatically awarding a medical card.