Vol. 552 No. 1
280 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children if there are circumstances whereby the Medicare contributions of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 could be interpreted to allow this person to benefit from public medical care here. [11053/02]
There is no agreement between this country and the United States of America for the transfer of health care entitlements. Entitlement to health services in Ireland is primarily based on residence and means. Any person who is accepted by the health boards-authority as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility, category 1 – medical card holders, or limited eligibility, category 2, for health services. Health boards-authority normally regard a person as ordinarily resident in Ireland if he-she satisfies the health board-authority that it is his/her intention to remain in Ireland for a minimum period of one year.
Persons in category 1 are medical card holders and they are entitled to a full range of services, including general practitioner services, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient public hospital services in public wards, including consultant services, all out-patient services, including consultant services, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances and a maternity and infant care service. Persons in category 2, non-medical card holders, are entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient public hospital services in public wards, including consultant services, and out-patient public hospital services, including consultant services.
Under the Health Act, 1970, determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board-authority, aside from people over the age of 70 years who are automatically entitled to a medical card. 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.
