John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter this morning. It is disappointing that a line Minister is not here. If there are outstanding items, I would appreciate if I could get a response in writing. This issue will not be a new one for the Minister of State. I am sure his office deals with queries about medical cards in the same way my offices in Waterford city and Dungarvan do on a regular basis. He will also know the stress and strain periodic reviews of medical cards for those aged over 70 can cause. Generally, that generation is not as tech-savvy as the Minister of State or myself. There are some who are, of course, very tech savvy, but in general they need assistance from family members. Often, they do not have family members there to assist them with downloading and printing off statements and so on. The stress and strain it causes are significant. The fear of losing a medical card is very real, even though numbers indicate that the number of over-70s in receipt of medical cards has increased every year from 2020. The data, which I reviewed in the HSE publications, showed that in February 2020, 359,722 persons aged 70 and over were in receipt of a medical card. This accounted for 23% of all medical cards issued. Data from this month showed that 390,676 persons aged 70 and over are in receipt of a medical card. This accounts for 24% of all medical cards currently held. That data shows that despite periodic reviews of this cohort, generally every three to four years, the number of over-70s with medical cards has not dropped. The reason is simple; this age cohort, generally, is on a fixed income, in retirement and, barring taking up employment or winning the lotto, its income and means are not going to change. Despite this, the HSE is paying significant amounts for reviews of this cohort. It is a pointless exercise. How much money is being spent by the HSE on reviews of medical card eligibility? Whatever that figure is, if it is multiplied by 24%, that is the saving that could be made by ceasing this practice. If someone over 70 goes through the assessment process and is deemed to have an entitlement to a medical card, he or she should not have to go through a periodic review process every few years, save where they take up employment. That could be stipulated in the regulations. I can only think of a handful of cases in my 15 years as a politician in which, on review, a medical was removed. To park the hardship, stress and strain it causes for older persons, on a cost-benefit basis alone, there are significant savings to be made by ceasing the practice of reviews of medical cards for over-70s. I stress that it is over-70s. I am not saying that reviews should be ceased for all cohorts but this cohort is generally on a fixed income.