Medical Card Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Questions (561)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

561. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the services that are available to general practitioners for patients who require emergency GMS cover if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28399/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The HSE has an effective system in place for the provision of emergency medical cards for patients who are terminally ill, or who are seriously ill and in urgent need of medical care that they cannot afford. They are issued within twenty-four hours of receipt of the required patient details and the letter of confirmation of the condition from a doctor or a medical consultant. For persons with a terminal illness, no means test applies. Once the terminal illness is verified by a GP or Consultant, patients are given an emergency medical card for six months.

GPs have full electronic visibility of their GP visit/medical card panel of patients and have the facility to electronically allow temporary extension of eligibility for expiring cards where a sensitive renewal is appropriate, or where they are aware that a person is still availing of services but there may be something that prevents them from carrying out a standard review, e.g. a blind person with little family support. All GPs have appropriate electronic access to the medical card eligibility database and they do not have to confirm medical card details by contacting the HSE.