Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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2403.To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing in 2025 medical cards to all those diagnosed with cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32871/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Health Act 1970, eligibility for a medical card is based primarily on means. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without undue 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.

The issue of granting medical or GP visit cards based on having a particular disease or illness was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE Expert Panel on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility. The Group concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. In following the Expert Group’s advice, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.

Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card - in particular, to take full account of difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. In such circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, for example:

• Discretionary medical cards issued topatients with significant medical expenses but who do not satisfy the means test.
• Emergency medical cards are issued to patients that are terminally ill, or are seriously ill, and in urgent need of medical care that they cannot afford.
• Medical cards issued to patients who are terminally ill with aprognosis of 24 months or less do not require subsequent means assessment and are not reviewed.

With regard to the estimated cost of providing a medical card in the manner sought, the data required to model this proposal is not readily available. As outlined above, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department keeps medical card issues under review in order to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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2404.To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing in 2025 discretionary medical cards to all those with a confirmed disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32872/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Health Act 1970, eligibility for a medical card is based primarily on means. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without undue 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.

The issue of granting medical or GP visit cards based on having a particular disability or illness was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE Expert Panel on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility. The Group concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. In following the Expert Group’s advice, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.

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. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are also considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services.

Since the 1st December 2018, the medical card earnings disregard for persons in receipt of Disability Allowance was increased from €120 to €427 per week and applies to the assessment process for both single persons and to family assessments.

With regard to the estimated cost of providing a medical card in the manner sought, the data required to model this proposal is not readily available. As outlined above, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department keeps medical card issues under review in order to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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2405.To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing medical card income limits by 5%, 10% or 20%, and in each case the projected additional number of cards that would be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32873/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Eligibility for a Medical Card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.

Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. The weekly gross medical card income thresholds for people aged 70 and over are currently €550 per week for a single person and €1050 for a couple.

Persons under 70 are assessed under the general means tested medical card thresholds which are based on an applicant’s household income after tax and the deduction of PRSI and the Universal Social Charge. Certain expenses are also taken into account. Examples of allowable expenses include rent, mortgage, certain insurance costs, childcare, maintenance, nursing home net costs which help to increase the amount a person can earn and still qualify for a medical card. For people under 70, the thresholds range from €184 per week for a single person living alone aged under 66, to €298 per week for married, co-habiting couple or a single parent family aged over 66 (with additional amount for each child dependent). Detailed guidelines are available at: .

With regard to the estimated cost of the deputy's proposals, officials from my Department will be in further contact with the Deputy directly with relevant information as soon as available.