Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of income declaration forms received by the Health Service Executive regarding the over 70 years medical card; the sanctions the HSE will impose on people who have not declared they are above the income threshold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13125/09]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has asked the Health Service Executive for the number of over 70s medical cards either returned to the HSE or cancelled by the HSE as a consequence of the Health Act 2008; the number of such cards returned or cancelled to date; and the cost incurred in the communication of the new eligibility criteria by post to all relevant medical card holders. [13097/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 53 together.

Following enactment of the Health Act 2008, the Health Service Executive (HSE) wrote to all medical card holders aged 70 years and over in January 2009. Persons who were in receipt of a medical card on a non means tested basis were requested, if over the income limits set out in the Act, to make a declaration to the Executive, on or before the 2nd March 2009. The HSE reports the cost of postage, stationary, etc. for this exercise as some €224,000. This forms part of an ongoing data quality exercise which is budget neutral. To-date, 19,445 medical cards for persons aged 70 and over have been returned or removed from the medical card register.

Under the new arrangements, a much simplified system of assessment for eligibility was introduced in respect of persons aged 70 and over, based on gross income rather than net income, as applies otherwise for means-testing of eligibility for medical cards. The simplified approach taken for persons aged 70 and over who held a medical card prior to 31st December 2008 is close to a self-assessment system. In introducing the measures, I emphasised my belief in the honesty and integrity of the vast majority of older persons in our society. There are measures in the legislation that allow for the sharing of data between State agencies and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to allow the HSE to verify in any particular case if the person has income, as declared, under the gross income limit.

Long-standing provisions of the Health Act 1970, as amended, continue to apply. For instance, under Section 49(1) there is a requirement for a person to notify the HSE of any change in his/her circumstances which would render him/her ineligible for services. In addition, under Section 50, when a person has obtained a service and it is later ascertained that he/she was not entitled to the service, the HSE may charge the individual for any services provided to him/her for the period for which he/she had no entitlement. Failure to notify the HSE or the use of a service one is not entitled to is an offence on summary conviction.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the latest figures for persons in receipt of medical cards and general practitioner only cards; the number of cards issued to date in 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13072/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Details of the number of medical card holders and GP visit card holders are provided to my Department each month by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The figures are provided on a net basis, showing the balance after new cards have been issued and other cards, as appropriate, have been deleted from the Executive's database, e.g. following a review of a person's circumstances. The most recent figures provided to my Department by the HSE are for February 2009. The total number of medical card holders on 28th February 2009 was 1,365,242 and the total number of GP visit card holders on that date was 86,442. The net number of additional cards between 1st January 2009 and 28th February 2009 was 13,122 medical cards and 896 GP visit cards.