Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2016
177. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the reasons for the delays in processing information sent to the Primary Care Reimbursement Service by applicants for medical cards and by public representatives that are leading to unacceptable delays in processing applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11072/16]
View answerThe Primary Care Reimbursement Service has a target to have 90% of properly completed medical/GP visit card applications processed within 15 days of the application having been received by the HSE. The current turnaround is 99.88% within 15 days. This refers to applications, again properly completed, that enable an assessor to make a determination on eligibility under the scheme.
The length of time that it takes for applicants to receive a decision on their medical card applications where a fully completed application form was not submitted, depends on how quickly the applicants respond to the subsequent request for additional information. Once the outstanding documentation is received, the assessment is prioritised without delay.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. Should the Deputy wish to provide information about a specific case or case, the HSE has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently issued to Oireachtas members.
