Written answers
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Department of Health
Medical Card Eligibility
Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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228. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the way in which current medical card criteria discriminates against persons who hold an occupational pension instead of a State pension whereby a person whose only income is an occupational pension but at the same value as the State contributory pension will not automatically qualify for a medical card whereas a person whose only income is the State pension will; and the action he will take to improve the position of occupational pension holders in this regard so that such discrimination is ended [20898/13]
Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines provide for consideration of income that is derived solely from allowances/benefits paid by the Department of Social Protection or the HSE that which are in excess of the Income Guidelines.
In 2009, a new scheme was introduced for people aged 70 years and over. This new scheme set a significantly higher gross income limit for a single person, currently €600 per week and €1,200 per week for a couple. This compares with a weekly income limit of €184 for a person aged up to 65 and €266.50 for a couple and compares with a weekly income limit of €201.50 for a single person aged between 65 and 70 and €298 for a couple within that same age bracket.
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