Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 199: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that children born with chronic asthma are not entitled to a medical card, are not covered under long-term illness and cannot avail of private cover due to the fact that they were born with this condition which can be very costly, between general practitioner visits and medication; if she will consider including this under the long-term illness scheme. [39118/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Under the 1970 Health Act, the Health Service Executive may arrange for the supply without charge of drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances to people with a specified condition for the treatment of that condition through the long-term illness scheme, LTI. The LTI does not cover general practitioner fees or hospital co-payments. The conditions are: mental handicap, mental illness — for people under 16 only — phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, parkinsonism, conditions arising from thalidomide and acute leukaemia. There are no plans to extend the list of eligible conditions.

The medical card, GMS, and drugs payment, DPS, schemes provide assistance towards the cost of approved drugs and medicines for people with significant ongoing medical expenses. People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. People who do not hold a medical card and people with conditions not covered under the LTI, can use the drug payment scheme, DPS. Under this scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than €85 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.

In November 2004, the Government provided funding for an additional 30,000 medical cards and for 200,000 new general practitioner visit cards which allow holders to receive general practitioner services free of charge. In June this year, I simplified the means test for both medical and general practitioner visit cards. It is now based on an applicant's and spouse's income after income tax and PRSI and takes account of reasonable expenses incurred in respect of rent or mortgage payments, child care and travel to work. On 13 October 2005, I announced that the income guidelines for both medical and general practitioner visit cards would be increased by an additional 20%. This means the income guidelines are now 29% higher than this time last year.