The facts do not lie. Current medical card limits are so low that a husband and wife with two children will lose eligibility if their income exceeds €250 a week. In the absence of a medical card it would cost a parent €70 in total to visit the family doctor –€40 for the doctor and a minimum of €30 thereafter for the purchase of prescribed drugs. This would represent 30% of the weekly household income. This is a conservative figure, given that those suffering from long-term illnesses and parents with children often visit their general practitioner more frequently and encounter higher drug costs. For a single person just above the income threshold of €138 per week, one trip to the general practitioner and the purchase of prescribed drugs to a combined total of €70 would represent more than 50% of his or her weekly household income.