Family income supplement and medical cards
The Minister said family income supplement should not normally affect medical-card eligibility and that boards had agreed not to withdraw cards solely for that reason. He knew of the Limerick case but had no exact figure for affected cases.
asked the Minister for Health if receipt of the family income supplement will be taken into account when assessing eligibility for a medical card.
Comment on this
The operation of the family income supplement scheme should not bring the income of families above the medical card guidelines except in very exceptional circumstances. If such a situation were to arise the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board would still have discretion to issue a medical card or provide a specific service without charge if he considered that undue hardship existed.
In practical terms, therefore, the family income supplement is not a factor which will affect eligibility for medical cards.
Comment on this
My question arises from a situation in Limerick where a medical card was withdrawn as a result of receipt of a family income supplement. Could the Minister indicate the number of cases where medical cards have been withdrawn as a result of receiving family income supplement?
Comment on this
I do not have the exact number but I have heard of the case concerned. Only a handful of people are affected. The possibility of that happening has been discussed with the chief executive officers of the health boards who have agreed that if such a case should arise a family's eligibility for a medical card should not be lost solely because of the family income supplement.
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