Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has plans to increase the income guidelines for medical cards and general practitioner visit cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8918/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The assessment of eligibility to medical cards and GP visit cards is statutorily a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE) and, with the exception of persons aged 70 and over who have an automatic statutory entitlement to a medical card, is determined following an examination of the means of the person and his/her dependants.

Under Section 45 of the Health Act 1970, medical cards are provided for persons who, in the opinion of the HSE, are unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants. Section 58 of the Health Act, 1970, as amended, provides for GP visit cards for adult persons with limited eligibility for whom, in the opinion of the HSE, and notwithstanding that they do not qualify for a medical card, it would be unduly burdensome to arrange GP medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants.

In recent years there have been significant improvements to the way in which people's eligibility for medical cards and GP visit cards is assessed. Since the beginning of 2005, the qualification guidelines have increased by a cumulative 29%. Assessment is now based on a person's and, where relevant, his/her spouse's income after tax and PRSI, and takes account of reasonable expenses incurred in respect of rent or mortgage payments, child care and travel to work. In June 2006, there was a further increase in the qualification threshold for the GP visit card to 50% above that for a medical card. Furthermore, under the assessment guidelines, applicants whose weekly incomes are derived solely from Department of Social and Family Affairs payments or HSE payments, even if these exceed the stated threshold, qualify for a medical card.

The Programme for Government commits to the following: indexing the income thresholds for medical cards to increases in the average industrial wage; doubling of the income limit eligibility of parents of children under 6 years of age, and trebling them for parents of children under 18 years of age with an intellectual disability.

My Department is currently carrying out a review of the eligibility criteria for medical cards, which is expected to be completed by autumn 2008. When that review is completed, my Department will consider how best to progress the commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to medical card eligibility. The review of the eligibility criteria for medical cards will also give effect to the Towards 2016 commitment to review the eligibility criteria for the assessment of medical cards in the context of medical, social and economic/financial need, with a view to clarifying entitlement to a medical card.