Written answers

Thursday, 27 September 2018

Department of Health

Medical Card Eligibility

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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144. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to remove means-testing for medical cards for children who are orphaned and cared for by family members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39202/18]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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There are no proposals at present remove means testing for medical cards for children that are orphaned and cared for by family members.

However, every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. In certain circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds his or her income threshold, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services. The HSE affords applicants the opportunity to furnish supporting information documentation to fully take account of all the relevant circumstances that may benefit them in the assessment, including medical evidence of cost and necessary expenses.

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