Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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524. To ask the Minister for Health if a new medical card can be applied for retrospectively for a medical bill in circumstances in which the person applied for the card within eight weeks of the treatment but did not receive the card until after eight weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49412/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure and every application must be assessed on that basis.

Regarding reimbursement, eligibility for a medical card or GP visit card is granted on the date when a completed application has been assessed and the applicant is awarded eligibility for a card under the scheme guidelines. Expenditure incurred prior to being granted eligibility is therefore not reimbursable.