John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

244. To ask the Minister for Health when the threshold for medical cards will be raised as committed to in budget 2020 in order that persons can apply for same [31942/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Bill 2020, enacted on 2nd August 2020, provided for an increase to the gross medical card income limits for those aged 70 and over to €550 per week for a single person and to €1,050 per week for a couple.

The Government has recently approved the necessary funding required to implement this measure and the new increased income limits will take effect from November 1^st2020.  

Officials in the Department of Health are therefore now making the necessary arrangements to commence the relevant section of the Act and are engaging with the HSE's National Medical Card unit to ensure all operational arrangements are in place for implementation of this measure.