Pauline Tully
Ceist:1263. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the cost to fund medical cards for all persons diagnosed with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20373/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 30 July 2020
Ceisteanna (1263)
Freagraí scríofa
Eligibility for a medical card remains primarily on the basis of financial assessment. The HSE's Expert Group on Medical Needs and Medical Card Eligibility examined the issue of awarding medical cards on the basis of illness or a disability and concluded that it was not feasible, desirable nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. The Expert Group also concluded that a persons means should remain the main qualifier for a medical card. This remains unchanged.
In relation to the cost of providing a permanent medical card to people with disabilities regardless of their work status, the data required to model this is not readily available and it is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the proposal.
However, it should be noted that since 01 December 2018, the medical card earnings disregard for persons in receipt of Disability Allowance was increased from €120 to €427 per week and applies to the assessment process for both single persons and to family assessments. This measure gave effect to one of the key recommendations of the Make Work Pay for Persons with Disabilities Report.