Vol. 541 No. 2
466 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children if he intends to extend the long-term illness scheme to include polio; the reason the illness is not included in the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21491/01]
The long-term illness scheme entitles persons to free drugs and medicines which are prescribed in respect of a specific schedule of illnesses. The long-term illness scheme has not been extended since 1975.
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 chief executive officer 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.
Non-medical card holders and people with conditions other than those covered under the long-term illness scheme can avail of the drug payment scheme, which was introduced on 1 July 1999 and replaced the drug cost subsidisation scheme and drug refund scheme. Under the drug payment scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than £42 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The primary aim of the drugs payments scheme is to bring about important improvements over the previous schemes and it is designed to be more streamlined, user friendly and significantly to improve the cash flow situation for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.
Policy in relation to eligibility for health services will be outlined in the forthcoming health strategy.
