Vol. 437 No. 4
62 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the list of specified illnesses under the long term illness scheme, whereby a sufferer of any of these illnesses is automatically entitled to qualify for a medical card, to include spinal injury resulting in permanent irreversible confinement to a wheelchair.
The determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board.
Persons, with conditions such as that described by the Deputy, who in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board are unable to meet their medical expenses, without undue hardship, may be granted a medical card which will entitle them to the supply of all drugs and medicines without charge.
The long term illness scheme entitles persons who suffer from certain specified illnesses to free drugs and medicines which are prescribed in respect of the particular illnesses. There are no plans at present to extend the scheme to include any further conditions.
The long term illness scheme, however, is only one of a number of schemes in operation which provides assistance towards the cost of prescribed drugs and medicines for persons with ongoing medical conditions.
Any other person with an ongoing medical condition, which imposes a requirement for continuous medication, can benefit under the terms of the drug cost subsidisation scheme. This scheme limits the actual expenditure of authorised beneficiaries, on prescribed medicines, to £32 per month.
