Vol. 573 No. 3
476 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Health and Children if a medical card issued for medical reasons to a person with a recognised life long illness, for example deafness, Down's syndrome and chronic arthritis, should undergo reviews on an annual basis, in view of the fact that it is already recognised that their medical condition cannot and will not improve; and if he will make a statement on the possibility of reviewing this anomaly. [25313/03]
The proper administration of the GMS scheme requires health boards to carry out periodic reviews of all medical card holders in order to satisfy themselves that the card holders continue to be eligible for services under the scheme. Such reviews are conducted in a manner that takes due account of the personal circumstances of the card holder. Decisions on the method and interval between such reviews are matters for the chief executive officer of the area health board to decide. I do not intend to change the existing protocol which I consider prudent in light of the necessity for accountability and appropriate use of public funds.
