Vol. 513 No. 1
435 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to review the increase in the drugs refund scheme from £32 to £42; if he will examine the effects of this increase on low income and elderly people who do not qualify for a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1280/00]
The new drug payment scheme, with a threshold of £42 per month per individual or family, was introduced on 1 July 1999 and replaced the drug cost subsidisation scheme – DCSS – and drug refund scheme – DRS. The primary aim of the new drug payment scheme is to bring about important improvements over the previous schemes and the scheme is designed to be more streamlined, user friendly and to significantly improve the cash flow situation for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines. With regard to the increase, there has been no increase in the thresholds for the DCSS or DRS since 1991.
People who are unable without undue hardship to arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. Eligibility for a medical card is solely a matter for the chief executive officer of the relevant health board to decide. In determining eligibility for a medical card, the local health board has regard to the financial circumstances of the applicant. Income guidelines are used by health boards to assist in determining a person's eligibility. However, even though a person's income exceeds the guidelines, the person may still be awarded a medical card if the chief executive officer considers that the person's medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. Medical cards may also be issued to individual family members on this basis.
The Deputy will be aware that the Government decided that the income guidelines for entitlement to medical cards should be doubled for persons aged 70 years or over. This improvement, which is being introduced over a three year period, began on 1 March 1999. The income guidelines for persons aged 70-79 and persons aged 80 years and over, which are already higher than the normal guidelines, have increased by one third and there will be similar increases in 2000 and 2001. In the circumstances, I do not propose to make any adjustments to the £42 threshold.
