Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if persons whose medical cards are due for renewal need to reapply or if cards are automatically renewed when circumstances have not changed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10443/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has the operational responsibility for the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme, which includes the medical card and GP visit card benefits. The HSE has informed my Department that when a medical card comes up for review, the current circumstances of the medical card holder are evaluated to ensure that they continue to hold eligibility, and that this involves a standard review process. Medical card reviews/renewal forms are issued to medical card clients three months in advance of their eligibility review date in order to give clients sufficient time to complete the review form and to provide the required evidence of income, etc.

Clients are requested to return completed review forms at least one month in advance of the review date in order to give the HSE sufficient time to carry out the review and/or to contact the client if the application is incomplete or further information is required. The HSE will issue a reminder letter to the client if the review form is not received by the Executive within one month of the review date. Where a review is not completed by the review date, it is HSE policy to extend the eligibility of the client until the review is carried out and a final decision is made on the client's eligibility status at that time.

The Executive has indicated to my Department that the majority of clients respond to the relevant requests in time, thus facilitating their eligibility status to be reviewed and a decision made on time. If a completed review form is not received by the Executive or a client does not provide the information required by the HSE to carry out the review within a period of months, the eligibility of the client may be suspended until an appropriate communication is received from the client, or from a person acting on their behalf.