Vol. 438 No. 1
137 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health if he will review the practice of the medical card eligibility of disabled persons being reviewed every two years; if he will direct that disabled persons medical cards be supplied on a permanent basis.
The determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer of the appropriate health board.
Persons are granted medical cards where the Chief Executive Officer of the appropriate health board considers that they are unable to meet their medical expenses without undue hardship. A uniform set of income guidelines are used by the health boards to assist in deciding on a person's eligibility. Each application is assessed on its own merits with the individual circumstances, including particular illnesses or disabilities, being taken into account. Medical cards are not, therefore, granted automatically to any particular group.
In the interests of ensuring the effective management of the medical card system, health boards periodically review the eligibility of medical card holders. The review period will depend on individual circumstances but typically varies from one to three years. A disabled person with a medical card, whose circumstances would not be expected to alter significantly, would be subject to less frequent reviews.
I am satisfied that the system of determining and reviewing eligibility for medical cards is operated by health boards in an equitable manner.
