Details of the number of medical card holders are provided to my Department each month by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The figures are provided on a net basis, showing the balance after new cards have been issued and other cards, as appropriate, have been deleted from the Executive's database, e.g. following a review of a person's circumstances. The most recent figures provided by the HSE to my Department reflect the position on 31st December 2009 and show 337,669 medical card holders aged 70 years or over.
Under the Health Act 2008, the income thresholds for entitlement to a medical card for those aged 70 or over is €700 (gross) per week (€36,500 per year) for a single person and €1,400 (gross) per week (€73,000 per year) for a couple. Where the spouse/partner is under 70 years of age, he/she can qualify under the over 70s medical card scheme if the combined gross incomes of the applicant and dependant spouse/partner are within the income threshold limit of €1,400 (gross) per week. There were no changes to these provisions in Budget 2010. As the other information sought by the Deputy is not provided by the HSE to my Department as a matter of routine, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.