Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the protocol in place when a medical card is issued but a decision is subsequently taken that the holder is not eligible and when the card is not actually withdrawn; the action, if any, taken against individuals who use medical cards when they are no longer eligible as in such circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34968/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I take it that the Deputy is referring to situations such as where the Health Service Executive (HSE) receives information that a person may no longer be eligible for a medical card but is unable to make contact with that person. In such circumstances, the HSE notifies the medical card holder's general practitioner so that, in the event that the person returns for service, he/she can be made aware of the position and asked to contact the HSE to address the issue.

All primary care contractors and medical card holders can check the status of any medical card at www.medicalcard.ie. The HSE receives over 5 million such checks annually from GPs alone. If a person uses a service and is not entitled to a medical card, he/she may be liable for the cost of the service provided.