Medical card reissues
Pat Buckley raised older people's medical cards being downgraded to GP visit cards after renewal. The Taoiseach said eligibility should remain if income grounds still apply and advised sending the cases to the Health Minister.
I wish to flag an issue that has arisen since we came out of the pandemic. Many elderly people's medical cards have expired. These are full medical cards but when those people go through the process of getting them reissued, they are being issued with GP visit cards only. Those people were eligible for full medical cards before the arrival of Covid-19 but now they have expired, the Department is putting savage stress and anxiety on these people because all they are getting now are GP visit cards. Why is that happening?
Comment on this
I do not know. Someone who was eligible before the pandemic on income grounds should be eligible after the pandemic.
Comment on this
I have a number of examples. I will go to the Department with them.