Tony Gregory
Ceist:184 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health further to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 107 of 27 November 1996 the outcome of the end of year review. [13795/97]
Written Answers. - Medical Card Eligibility.
Under the 1970 Health Act, determination of medical card entitlement is a statutory function of the chief executive officers of the health boards. Following the end of year review by the chief executive officers of the arrangements in place to facilitate the return to work of the long-term unemployed, no changes have been made to the criteria for determining medical card entitlement of persons in receipt of a one parent family payment.
Under arrangements already agreed by the chief executive officers, the medical card entitlement of single persons with dependants and widowed persons with dependants is assessed using the same income guidelines as married couples with dependants. In addition persons in receipt of lone parent allowance who take a place on any of the schemes applicable to the long-term unemployed, including the back to work allowance scheme, are allowed retain their medical card entitlement in the same way as other participants.