Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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613. To ask the Minister for Health if she will confirm whether the recent €10 weekly increase in pension payments will be matched by an equivalent increase in medical card income thresholds for older persons, to ensure that pensioners do not lose eligibility as a result of the pension adjustment. [64880/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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615. To ask the Minister for Health the year in which medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 and over were last revised, and the rationale for not indexing thresholds to inflation, pension adjustments or cost of living changes. [64882/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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616. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department conducted an equality or social impact assessment on the effect of raising pensions without adjusting medical card thresholds, particularly for older persons living alone. [64883/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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621. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department will consider aligning medical card thresholds with annual pension increases as part of future budget cycles; and if this option has been costed. [64888/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 613, 615, 616 and 621 together.

Medical Card provision is primarily based on financial assessment. In accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, which assesses each 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 69 and under 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. Detailed guidelines are available at: .

Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. In November 2020, the weekly gross medical card income thresholds for those aged 70 and over were increased to €550 per week for a single person and €1050 for a couple. However, it should be noted that those aged over 70 can also be assessed under the general means tested scheme where there are particularly high medical costs.

In response to the Deputy’s query regarding State pension payment increases, it is important to note that where a person's sole income is derived from a social protection payment, he/she will be awarded a medical card.

It is important to acknowledge that the administration of medical card exists within a wider eligibility framework, for example:

• since 2015, every individual aged 70 and over has automatic eligibility for a GP visit card
• under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.
• under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) no individual pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines.
• Individuals may also be entitled to claim tax relief on the cost of qualifying health expenses, including medicines prescribed by a doctor, dentist, or consultant. Relief is at the standard tax rate of 20%.

• In 2023, GP visit card means-tested eligibility was extended to those who earn up to the median household income
• GP visit card eligibility was extended from all children under 6 to children under 8, and
• Public in-patient charges in public hospitals were abolished.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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614. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons aged 70 or over projected to lose entitlement to a medical card or GP visit card in 2025 and 2026 due to pension increases not being reflected in updated medical card income thresholds. [64881/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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622. To ask the Minister for Health the projected annual cost of increasing medical card thresholds for older persons in line with the most recent pension increase; and the estimated number of additional medical card holders such a measure would support. [64889/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 614 and 622 together.

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. Current medical card income thresholds can be considered generally in terms of cohorts aged 70 or older, and under 70 years of age, with separate thresholds and assessment criteria for each.

With regard to the estimated cost of the Deputy's proposals, the information sought is not readily available and will need to be determined. Officials from my Department will be in further contact with the Deputy directly with relevant information as soon as available.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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617. To ask the Minister for Health the number of older persons who received a discretionary medical card in each of the past five years due to being above the income threshold but facing high medical or living costs. [64884/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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618. To ask the Minister for Health the number of applications from persons aged 70 or over rejected for a medical card or GP visit card in each of the past five years due to exceeding the income thresholds. [64885/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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619. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE has issued any internal guidance to staff to ensure that older applicants with modest increases in pension income are not denied a medical card where there are evident medical needs or high living costs. [64886/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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620. To ask the Minister for Health the total number of persons aged 70 or over who have lost their medical card or GP visit card in the past three years due to being marginally above the income thresholds. [64887/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.