Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 July 2014
734. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to any instance whereby eligibility for the long-term illness scheme was revoked on the grounds that the person was also a medical card holder; if there was at any stage a policy whereby a person on the long-term illness scheme could not also be a medical card holder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29453/14]
View answerThe Long Term Illness (LTI) scheme is a non-means tested scheme established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended).
Persons suffering from prescribed conditions can get free drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances for the treatment of that condition under the LTI Scheme. Medical card holders are required to pay prescription charges. Prescription charges are not payable in respect of items supplied under the LTI Scheme.
In the case of persons who have both the medical card and an LTI book, it was HSE policy that they should use their medical card to access medicines. The main reason for this was that when a retail mark-up of 20% was payable to pharmacists for items supplied under the LTI Scheme it cost the HSE considerably more to supply medicines under the LTI Scheme than under the GMS Scheme.
Following a review of the rates of fees payable to health professionals (under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, 2009) my colleague, Minister Reilly, announced (on the 2nd of July 2013) the elimination of the retail mark-up. As a result, the HSE revised its policy on this matter and persons who have both a medical card and LTI can now access medication for their qualifying long term illness condition(s) under the LTI Scheme.
The Medical Card Scheme is a means tested scheme established under section 58 of the Health Acts 1970 (as amended). The Medical Card scheme does not specifically preclude those persons who had/have eligibility under the LTI scheme.
