Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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218. To ask the Minister for Health if a review of procedures for issuing medical cards to persons with cancer as per the programme for partnership Government has been conducted; and if so, the findings and recommendations of same. [28552/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) was established by the Director General of the Health Service Executive (HSE) in January 2015 to provide clinical oversight and guidance to the operation of a more compassionate and trusted medical card system. Its establishment followed the completion of the work of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility.

The Report of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility found that it is not feasible, desirable, or ethically justifiable to list medical conditions for medical card eligibility. However, in an interim report to the HSE in 2015, the CAG recommended that all children under the age of 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer should be awarded a medical card for a period of five years. The HSE gave effect to this recommendation on 1 July 2015.

The Group was also tasked with developing guidance on assessing medical card applications involving significant medical conditions, so as to take account of the burden involved and the needs arising from the condition and to ensure that appropriate services are provided to people who need them.  To that end the National Medical Card Unit (NMCU) in collaboration with the CAG has finalised the development of a Burden of Illness Questionnaire (BIQ).

The BIQ is now being utilized in selective circumstances where the assessing doctor in the NMCU requires more complete information to allow a comprehensive assessment of the person’s medical and social circumstances and any resulting undue financial hardship.