Changes to the Rules for a Medical Card
As part of Budget 2013, it was announced that reduced income limits for an over-70s Medical Card would apply and that a new GP visit card would issue to those under the old income limits. It was also announced that the rules on a person’s spending that is taken into account in calculating a person’s net income under the Standard (under 70’s) Medical Card means test would be tightened.
Over-70s Medical Card
The Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2013 was enacted on 28th March 2013 and brought the following changes into effect:
New Rules for Over-70s Medical Card
- From 5th April 2013, persons aged 70 years and over, whose gross income is €600 or less per week in the case of single persons (and €1,200 or less per week in the case of couples) continue to qualify for medical cards.
New Over-70s GP Visit Card
- From 5thApril 2013, an over-70s single person, whose gross income is over €600 and up to €700 per week, qualifies for a GP Visit Card. For couples, the income band is over €1,200 up to €1,400 per week. For these people, the HSE will also meet their prescription drug costs in excess of the Drug Payments Scheme (DPS) threshold of €144 per month for each family.
Transitional Arrangement for Over-70s
- All new applicants and renewals are subject to the new rules from 5th April 2013.
- Where an existing over-70s medical cardholder (whose card does not fall for renewal before 31st May 2013) is affected by the new income limits, he/she automatically retains their medical card eligibility until 31st May 2013.
- After 31st May 2013, the new over-70s income rules apply to all new applicants and all existing cardholders.
Persons aged 70 or over, whose gross income is above the stated thresholds may, depending on their personal circumstances, still qualify for a medical card or a GP visit card under the standard means-testing arrangements which exist at present, which allow for medical, nursing and other relevant expenses to be taken into to account. This is to allow for the possibility that a person’s net income may yet qualify them for a medical card or GP visit card even though their gross income is above the new limits.
Standard (under 70’s) Medical Card Means Test
New rules have been introduced as follows:
- Home Improvement Loan payments are excluded from the standard medical card means test assessment from April 2013 onwards. Rent and mortgage payments are not affected.
- The €50 per week from Travel-to-Work expenses, which is allowed to cover standing charges such as car depreciation, is excluded from the standard medical card means test assessment from April 2013 onwards. Mileage costs are not affected.
