PEOPLE OVER the age of 70 will retain their medical cards if they have a gross weekly income of less than €700 for a single person or €1,400 for a couple, under legislation published yesterday by the Department of Health.
Current medical card holders over the age of 70 will have to make a declaration to the Health Service Executive (HSE) by March 2nd next year if their income is above these thresholds.
The Department of Health said yesterday that it believed that about 20,000 people could lose their medical cards under the changes introduced by the Government following its decision in the Budget to end the automatic entitlement to a medical card for people aged over 70.
It said that people over 70 whose income is currently above the income limits could apply to the HSE for a discretionary medical card on the basis that their health circumstances caused undue financial hardship.
However, it said that such an application would involve a means test.
The department said that people over 70 with an income in excess of the threshold could continue to use their medical card until March 2nd next year but not after that date.
People who turn 70 after next January and who do not have a medical card at present will have to undergo what the Department of Health described as a "simplified means test" to establish that their income does not exceed the €700/€1,400 threshold.
"If you currently have a medical card as a result of a means test or otherwise, you will only have to apply for a new medical card when your current card expires, using the new simplified means test", the Department of Health stated.
The details for the new rules governing medical card eligibility were set out in the Health Bill 2008, which was published by the Department of Health yesterday.
The department said that the financial assessment would be based on gross income received by a person before taxation or any deductions.
It said that income would include that received through pensions, investments or savings, rents from property or any part-time employment.
It said that any awards received by a person under the hepatitis C compensation scheme, the Lourdes hospital redress scheme, the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme and under the Nursing Home Charges Repayment Scheme would be excluded.
It also said that only interest on income earned on savings would be counted in the calculations of gross income.
"If you have savings and similar investments, income earned on the first €36,000 for a single person and €72,000 for a couple is exempt and is not counted towards gross income", it said.
The Department of Health also said that in the case of a couple where one person is 70 or over and the other is not, both will qualify for a medical card if their income does not exceed the €1,400 per week threshold.
It also said the Minister for Health would review the income limits each year "by reference to changes in the consumer price index".
A new reduced flat fee of €308 is to be paid to GPs from January for treating patients over 70 with medical cards.
The Labour Party said that it would "vigorously oppose the Bill" when it comes before the Dáil next week.
Labour health spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan said that the party would continue to "fight to retain the principle of universal medical card cover for those who contributed so much to the development of this country".
She said that while there was an obligation placed on the Minister for Health to review the income levels each year in the light of the consumer price index, there was no legal obligation on her to actually increase the limits to reflect any increase in inflation.
