Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that persons who can no longer afford health insurance and do not qualify for a medical card or general practitioner visit card may access the care they need when they need it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7526/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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There are currently two categories of eligibility for all persons ordinarily resident in Ireland - i.e. full eligibility (medical card) and limited eligibility (all others).

Persons with full eligibility (medical card holders) are entitled to a range of services free of charge, including GP services and all in-patient and out-patient public hospital services including consultant services. They are also entitled to prescribed drugs and medicines subject to a €1.50 charge per prescribed item (maximum €19.50 per month).

Persons with limited eligibility (non-medical card holders) are entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient and out-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultants' services subject to certain charges. Persons with limited eligibility must meet the first €144 of prescribed drugs costs per month, above which the Drug Payments Scheme meets all further costs. The Programme for Government commits to reforming the current public health system by introducing Universal Health Insurance with equal access to care for all. As part of this, the Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, GP care without fees within its first term of office. Legislation to allow the Minister for Health to make regulations to extend access to GP services without fees to persons with prescribed illnesses is currently being drafted by the Office of the Attorney General and the Department and it will be published shortly. Implementation dates and application details will be announced in due course.