asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the eligibility criteria to obtain a medical card under EC, PRSI social welfare circumstances.
Written Answers. - Medical Cards.
153.
Medical cards are issued under section 45 of the Health Act, 1970, to persons who in the opinion of the Chief Executive Officer of the appropriate health board are unable without undue hardship to provide general practitioner services for themselves and their dependants.
Income guidelines are available to assist chief executive officers in reaching a decision about a person's entitlement and to ensure uniformity of decisions in the different health boards. The guidelines are increased from time to time to allow for changes in the cost of living. The following are the current guidelines:
|
£ |
|
|
Single person living alone aged under 66 |
72.00 |
|
Single person living alone aged 66- 79 |
77.50 |
|
Single person living alone aged 80 and over |
81.00 |
|
Single person living with family aged under 66 |
62.00 |
|
Single person living with family aged 66-79 |
67.00 |
|
Single person living with family aged 80 and over |
70.00 |
|
Married couple aged under 66 |
103.50 |
|
Married couple aged 66-79 |
115.00 |
|
Married couple aged 80 and over |
121.00 |
|
Allowance per child under 16 |
12.00 |
|
Allowance for other dependants |
13.50 |
|
Allowance for outgoings on house excess over |
12.00 |
|
Other allowance: Reasonable expenses in excess of £10.50 a week necessarily incurred in trav- elling to work. |
Persons resident in Ireland who are in receipt of a social security pension from another member state of the EC, who are not also in receipt of an Irish pension and are not employed or self-employed are eligible to receive medical cards under EC Regulations irrespective of means.