Medical card
A medical card (Irish: cárta leighis) is a personal document issued by the Republic of Ireland in the form of a plastic card issued to residents of Ireland who are entitled to free or reduced-rate medical treatment. Those eligible fall below a certain income tax threshold or have costly ongoing medical requirements. The medical card system is administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Benefits
The card entitles the holder to free visits to
A GP visit card is available to people earning up to 50% above the income limit. As the name suggests, it grants free visits to GPs but does not include any of the other benefits.
History and politics
Medical cards were introduced by Part III of the Health Act 1953,
Until the
In March 2016 the HSE's National Medical Card Unit invited public comment on its draft three-year plan for 2016–18.[6]
Commentators criticising the alleged clientelism of TDs often instance representations TDs make on behalf of constituents who have been denied a medical card, despite such representations having no effect on the outcome of any review of the constituent's case.[7][8]
References
Sources
- "Medical cards". Citizens Information. Dublin: Citizens Information Board. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
Citations
- ^ "State Examinations Commission".
- ^ "Health Act, 1953". Irish Statute Book. 29 October 1953. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Committee on Finance. - Health Bill, 1952—Second Stage". Dáil Éireann debates. Oireachtas. 26 February 1953. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ Daly, Mary E. (2012). "The curse of the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake: A hospital system, not a health system" (PDF). Working Papers in History and Policy (2). University College Dublin: School of History and Archives: 5.
- ISSN 2042-6968.
- ^ "HSE invites feedback on National Medical Card Unit strategic plan" (Press release). Health Service Executive. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ Komito, Lee (April 1984). "Irish Clientelism: A Reappraisal" (PDF). The Economic and Social Review. 15 (3): 173–194. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ McGee, Harry (23 November 2015). "Taoiseach has made 330 representations for medical cards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 April 2016.