Brian O'Shea
Ceist:280 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which savings are assessed for medical card eligibility purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26752/00]
Written Answers. - Medical Cards.
Entitlement to health services is primarily based on means. Under the Health Act, 1970, determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. Medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer, are unable to provide general practitioner, medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants without undue hardship.
Income guidelines have been drawn up by the chief executive officers to assist in the determination of a person's eligibility and these guidelines are revised annually in line with the consumer price index. However, the guidelines are not statutorily binding and even though a person's income exceeds the guidelines, a medical card may still be awarded if the chief executive officer considers that his/her medical needs would justify this.
Medical cards are granted to those who in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the health board are unable to provide, without undue hardship, medical and surgical services for themselves or their dependants. The hardship referred to here is financial hardship, which may result from medical hardship, that is, high medical expenses.
Any investments or savings that could or should generate an income are taken into account in assessing income for medical card purposes. Interest from savings is taken into account but after that it is general practice to disallow a modest amount of savings when assessing the amount of savings/assets which could be redeemed as an income.
Each application is dealt with on its merits. The health board chief executive officers operate an independent appeals process for those who consider that they have been unfairly assessed. Such persons can also bring their case to the attention of the Ombudsman. It should also be noted that where a family would not qualify for a medical card, an individual member of a family may qualify, that is, if the family member's medical expenses were such as to jeopardise the income of the whole family.
The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness refers to the fact that health board chief executive officers are examining the operation of the medical card scheme and will consult with the social partners by the end of 2000. Particular emphasis will be placed on the needs of families with children, and on removing anomalies and barriers to take-up, including information deficits.