Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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57. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure that those who will have their discretionary cards reinstated will be reimbursed for any costs incurred while they were unable to access services available under the discretionary medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27046/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The current eligibility system for health services, which has been in place since 1970, is based primarily on financial criteria. Therefore, the Government has decided to develop a policy framework for providing eligibility for health services to take account of medical conditions, including new legislation as appropriate and a HSE clinical expert group is to examine the range of conditions that should be considered as part of this process. The group has been asked to make an early report to the Minister for Health in the autumn.

The Government was very concerned about the potential impacts on the health of persons with serious illnesses whose discretionary medical cards and GP visit cards were refused renewals since the centralisation of medical card assessment in 2011. Therefore, in the context of the above eligibility policy development, the Government has decided to issue medical cards and GP visit cards to these people. The Government recently approved the method by which medical cards and GP visit cards, awarded by way of discretion, can issue to persons with serious medical conditions where renewal was refused having completed an eligibility review. These cards are issuing in the context of government decisions in relation to future eligibility policy. The eligibility reviews conducted during that period were in accordance with legislation as it stands. The Government did not decide to retrospectively compensate persons for expenditure during the period January 2011 - May 2014 when the person did not qualify for a medical card.

The Deputy may be aware that persons with certain prescribed conditions qualify for the Long Term illness (LTI) scheme, irrespective of income or means. Under the LTI scheme, persons suffering from prescribed conditions can get drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances for the treatment of that condition free of charge. It should also be noted that under the Drugs Payment Scheme, a household only has to pay a maximum of €144 each month for approved prescribed drugs, medicines and certain appliances. This scheme is aimed at those who do not have a medical card and who normally have to pay the full cost of their medication. It also applies to those who have a GP visit card.

Anyone ordinarily resident in the State can apply to join the scheme, regardless of family, financial circumstances or nationality. Anyone who has incurred costs higher than that in a month can apply for a refund, going back to March 2011.