Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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59. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the restoration of certain medical cards as decided on 17 June 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27038/14]

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 decided that medical cards and GP visit cards are to be issued to persons with a serious medical condition (or disability) who had the renewal of their discretionary card refused by the HSE, having completed an eligibility review during the period from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2014.

This arrangement applies in the following circumstances:

- During the period, the person held a medical card or GP visit card issued on a discretionary basis, but the HSE made a decision to refuse its renewal on foot of a completed eligibility review;

- The person completed the review process during that period, i.e. provided the information and documentation required assessing their eligibility;

- The person has a serious medical condition, i.e., which required that their case was referred to a Medical Officer as a part of the review process.

It is anticipated that about 15,300 cards will be issued to people with serious medical conditions as part of this process. It is estimated that:

- 5,288 people will be issued with a discretionary medical card;

- 2,899 people will be issued with a discretionary GP visit card; and

- 7,118 people will be moved from GP visit card to a discretionary medical card.

It is also recognised that a small number of individuals may not have been able to complete their review during the defined period due to circumstances relating to their medical condition, e.g., hospitalisation during treatment, change of residence during treatment. Therefore, the Director General of the HSE may act, on his own initiative, to take account of an ad misericordiamappeal on a case by case basis to issue a discretionary card to such a person that has a serious medical condition.

People do not need to make an application to receive a card as the HSE is working as quickly as possible through its database to contact the people concerned over the next few weeks to inform them that their card is being issued. If people do not hear from the HSE by mid-July, they should contact the HSE on its LoCall contact number.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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60. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons that will not have their discretionary medical card reinstated as part of the recent announcement to reinstate a quantity of discretionary medical cards; the reasons for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27047/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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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.

The cards will issue in the following circumstances:

- During the period, the person held a medical card or GP visit card issued on a discretionary basis, but the HSE made a decision to refuse its renewal on foot of a completed eligibility review;

- The person completed the review process during that period, i.e. provided the information and documentation required to assess their eligibility;

- The person has a serious medical condition, i.e., which required that their case was referred to a Medical Officer as a part of the review process.

It is anticipated that over 15,000 cards will issue to people with serious medical conditions as part of this process. However, until the HSE has completed its examination on a case by case basis, it is not possible to provide a definitive figure. Furthermore, it is also recognised that a small number of individuals may not have been able to complete their review during this period due to circumstances relating to their medical condition, e.g., hospitalisation during treatment, change of residence during treatment. Therefore, the Director General of the HSE may act, on his own initiative, to take account of an ad misericordiamappeal (an appeal “to pity”) on a case by case basis to issue a discretionary card to such a person that has a serious medical condition.