Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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1153. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is taking almost two months for the medical card office to complete a review of a decision; if his attention has been further drawn to the difficulties that this is causing persons with medical needs; the efforts he has made to address these waiting times; if he will ensure that a satisfactory turnaround time is adhered to by the medical card office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46457/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service has, in the period since the centralisation of medical card processing, (1 July 2011 - to-date) received a total of 1,111,023 medical card/GP visit card applications. This total includes both new applications and renewal applications. In this period, 1,049,388 applications have been processed and decisions issued to the applicants concerned. This figure represents an overall 98.52% completion rate for the total number of applications received. Of the applications processed, 90.81% of these applications were processed within 15 days of the application having been received by the HSE.

A total of 34,065 review notifications were issued by the HSE in the month ending 30 September 2013. There are currently 16,483 returned applications (as at 01/11/2013) in process. Persons will continue to have eligibility extended pending the outcome of the review assessment, as will their dependants, if applicable, provided:

- they have returned the review form within the time specified, and

- they are engaging with the HSE in enabling their review assessment to complete.

If a person is a new applicant presenting with an urgent medical need or an urgent medical need in respect of their dependant(s), the HSE will facilitate a prioritised assessment of eligibility, once the applicant has provided all the necessary information.

Again, the HSE is currently operating at a 90.81% completion rate achieved within 15 days of applications being received to the HSE. Applications that remain in process outside of this period of time are facilitated so that eligibility is either retained or assessment prioritised without delay to the applicant who is engaging with the process.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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1154. To ask the Minister for Health if people over 70 are being requested as part of the medical card review process to place a valuation on their family home; the reason this is relevant; if this change will apply to every review and not just the over 70s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46460/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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For the purposes of assessing income for an over-70s medical card, income from property (whether a family home, a holiday home or any other property) will only be included if the property is generating a rental income. The income to be assessed will be the actual rental income less any cost necessarily incurred associated with the rental of the property and such costs may include insurance premium, mortgage repayments, maintenance, etc.

Under the standard means assessment medical card, income from property is taken as the gross income received less any cost necessarily incurred associated with the property and such cost may include insurance premiums, mortgage repayments, maintenance etc.

Where land/buildings (other than the family home that is being lived in) are not being used but are capable of being leased or sold, then the following options can be applied to determine income for medical card/GP visit card eligibility assessment purposes, with the more beneficial option applying to the applicant:

- Notional assessment of the rental/lease “going rate” for the area.

- Assessment of capital value worked out on the basis of the formula set out in the Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines.

In cases where the latter option is applied, the applicant will be requested to provide a valuation for the property concerned. The valuation provided will then be subject to the formula to determine the amount to be taken into account as weekly income from this source for medical card/GP visit card eligibility assessment purposes.