Applications for doctor-only cards are now being sought. Laura Slattery finds out who is eligible for this new benefit
Minister for Health Mary Harney has urged people to apply immediately to their local health centre for new doctor-only medical cards.
Following an agreement between the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Health Service Executive Employers Agency (HSEEA) to defer a related payment dispute, the path has now been cleared for the new cards to be issued.
But what are these doctor-only medical cards and who can apply?
Officially, the doctor-only medical cards are known as the GP Visit cards and they are aimed at people on incomes that are low but not quite low enough to qualify for a full medical card.
Families and individuals with incomes of up to 25 per cent over the existing medical card eligibility thresholds will qualify for the GP Visit cards, which, as the name suggests, entitles them to free visits to their GP.
Unlike full medical card holders, people who qualify for the new card will have to pay for any related prescription drugs and treatments. But they are automatically entitled to another scheme, the Drugs Payment Scheme, under which the monthly expenditure on prescriptions for an individual or family is capped at €85 a month, or €1,020 a year.
The Minister expects that around 200,000 of the GP Visit cards will be issued at a cost of €50 million a year and says that for the same cost, four times the number of people can qualify for the new cards as can for the full medical card.
Just over 1.1 million people qualify for a medical card. These can be divided into two groups: people who satisfy the means test and anyone over the age of 70, regardless of means.
The extension of the medical card scheme to all those over 70 years in 2001 proved controversial because the cost of the measure was far greater than originally anticipated.
Amid accusations of inequity in the system, the qualifying income limits for people under 70 were then not increased in line with pay inflation or rises in social welfare payments, meaning an estimated 100,000 low-income people lost their entitlement to the card.
However, an additional 30,000 full medical cards have been promised and a new assessment system based on net disposable income rather than gross income was introduced earlier this year. So far, uptake has been low or non-existent and a publicity campaign is now in the pipeline.
The new disposable income rules, which also apply to the new GP Visit cards, mean that "reasonable expenses" for childcare, mortgage or rent and travel to work will be allowed before applicants' net income is calculated.
The cut-off points for the full medical card mean that a single person aged up to 65 living alone can earn no more than €153.50 a week after tax to qualify, while a single person up to age 65 living with family can earn no more than €136.50 a week.
Higher thresholds apply for people aged 66-69 years: €168 if the person lives alone and €144.50 if they live with family. The threshold for a married couple aged up to 65 years is €222, increasing to €248.50 if they are aged 66-69.
Although everyone aged 70 and over is entitled to a medical card regardless of income, this card does not cover spouses. In the case of a married couple where one person is over 70 and one is under 70, the person under 70 will be means-tested according to the guidelines for married couples.
Under the rules for the new GP Visit card, the income thresholds are higher. A single person aged up to 65 can have net disposable income of up to €192 a week and still qualify, while if the person lives with their family they can earn up to €171. These cut-off points rise to €210 and €181 respectively for people aged 60-69. Married couples can earn up to €277.50, rising to €311 for the older age group.
However, the HSE, which administers the card, has indicated it will not be completely strict about these income limits.
A single application form for both cards is available from the HSE's website at www.hse.ie or from local health offices and centres. The completed forms should be sent to the local health centre. Those who are refused a card can request their local health centre to review their case or contact the appeals office.