Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 704: To ask the Minister for Health if there has been a policy change in the past 12 months whereby dependents in the care of legal guardians are no longer entitled to a medical card in their own right and are only deemed eligible for a medical card on the basis of their legal guardians entitlement to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19949/12]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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All medical card applications submitted to the Primary Care Reimbursement Service are considered under the National Income Guidelines for Medical Cards on the basis of a means assessment. A dependants' eligibility to a medical card or GP visit card is contingent on the eligibility of its legal guardian. There has been no change in policy in this regard. There is provision to award a medical/GP visit card to a dependent whose legal guardians' assessable income is in excess of the income guidelines on medical discretionary grounds.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 705: To ask the Minister for Health the reasons a person (details supplied) in Dublin was refused a medical card renewal despite having been deemed eligible in previous years and not experiencing any change in their circumstances; and if he will explain the reason no notification of the refusal was issued to the applicant despite the renewal application being submitted in December 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19950/12]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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If a person has been refused a medical card they can lodge an appeal within 21 days. Details of the appeals process are forward to the applicant with their refusal letter. As this refusal of a medical card renewal is a service matter I have referred it to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.