The details requested are as follows:
|
Date
|
No. of medical cards
|
No. of persons covered
|
Percentage of the population
|
|
|
|
%
|
|
June 2002
|
783,612
|
1,207,096
|
30.81
|
|
March 2004
|
762,577
|
1,152,291
|
29.42
|
The health strategy includes a commitment that significant improvements will be made in the medical card income guidelines. The aim is to increase the number of persons on low income who are eligible for a medical card and to give priority to families with children, particularly children with a disability. I regret that it is not possible to meet the commitment this year due to the prevailing budgetary position. However, the Government remains committed to the introduction of the necessary changes.
The medical card income guidelines issued by the chief executive officers of the health boards for 2004 are:
Medical Card Income Guidelines
|
(Effective from 1 January 2004)
|
|
€
|
|
Single Person Living Alone
|
|
|
Aged up to 65 years
|
142.50
|
|
Aged between 66 to 69 years
|
156.00
|
|
Single Person Living with Family
|
|
|
Aged up to 65 years
|
127.00
|
|
Aged between 66 to 69 years
|
134.00
|
|
Married Couple
|
|
|
Aged up to 65 years
|
206.50
|
|
Aged between 66 to 69 years
|
231.00
|
|
Aged between 70 to 79 years
|
462.00
|
|
Aged between 80 years and over
|
486.00
|
|
Allowances
|
|
|
For child under 16 years
|
26
|
|
For dependant over 16 years with no income maintained by applicant
|
27
|
|
For outgoings on house, rent and so on, in excess of
|
26
|
|
Reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in travelling to work in excess of
|
23
|
The medical card scheme is demand led. Medical cards may be issued by the CEOs on the basis of medical need to persons where income is above the guidelines. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately predict the numbers of persons who will qualify for a medical card in 2004.
