Written Answers Nos. 613-632
613. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra615. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra616. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra621. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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: [Assessment for a medical card - HSE.ie].
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%.
Furthermore, there are a range of additional measures implemented over recent Budgets to increase access and affordability to healthcare, for example:
• 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.
I can assure the Deputy that, in order to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs, my Department keeps medical card issues under review and any proposals are considered in the context of any potential broader implications for Government policy, the annual budgetary estimates process and legislative requirements arising.
614. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra622. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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.
617. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
618. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
619. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
620. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
623. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the public health advice her Department has issued to the Department of Justice since 2020 regarding infectious disease screening of persons entering or residing in the State, and if she will publish this advice. [64900/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. My department is collating the relevant data and will provide it to the Deputy as soon as possible.
624. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has completed any public health risk assessments since 2020 relating to tuberculosis, measles, polio, hepatitis or other communicable diseases among persons arriving into the State, and if she will provide copies of these assessments. [64901/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
625. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of infectious disease cases recorded by the HSE in each of the past five years that were epidemiologically linked to recent arrivals into the State, broken down by disease type. [64902/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
626. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if any recommendation has been made by the Chief Medical Officer or the Health Protection Surveillance Centre to reintroduce or expand health screening protocols for persons entering or residing in the State. [64903/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
627. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the screening, vaccination or health evaluation measures that were in place for new arrivals to the State before 2020, the date these measures ceased, and the reason the Department ended or amended those protocols. [64904/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra628. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has provided any resourcing, staffing or operational plans to the HSE to support expanded infectious disease screening at ports of entry or reception centres, and if she will outline these proposals. [64905/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
629. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of internal memos, circulars or directives issued by the Department since 2020 concerning infectious disease risks associated with inward migration, and if she will publish the dates and recipients of those communications. [64906/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is not readily available and will be supplied to the Deputy as soon as possible.
630. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if the HSE currently has the capacity to conduct infectious disease screening for all persons entering the State in circumstances where public health advice recommends such screening, and the number of staff available for this work. [64907/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to the provision of services, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive. The HSE response will issue directly to the Deputy.
631. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reintroducing mandatory or enhanced infectious disease screening for persons entering or residing in the State, including staffing, clinical resources and laboratory capacity. [64908/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive is scoping out the resource requirements for health screening persons entering the State.
Following consultation with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (as the lead Department responsible for implementation of the Migration Pact), my Department will engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on any proposed business case in the context of the 2027 Estimates process.
632. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has raised any concerns with the Department of Justice regarding infectious disease risks associated with international protection applicants or other new arrivals in the past five years. [64909/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is not readily available and will be supplied to the Deputy as soon as possible.
