Practice Managers Manual - Irish Health Repository

Medical Card Scheme and Doctor Visit Card
A patient, who holds a Medical Card, is entitled to the following services free of charge:
G.P Services.
Approved prescribed drugs and medicines.
Public hospital services.
Dental, optical and aural services.
Maternity services.
A range of community and personal social services.
Application forms are usually available in local Health Office and should be submitted to the Medical Card
Section of the patients local Health Office.
Entitlement to a Medical Card:
General Eligibility – a patient may be eligible for a Medical Card if they are 16 or over, living in Ireland and, in
the opinion of the Health Service Executive, “unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner,
medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependents”.
People over 70: patients who are aged 70 or over, are entitled to a Medical Card regardless of their income.
Retention of eligibility – a patient may be entitled to retain their Medical Card, even though they no longer meet
the usual criteria, if they go on to certain back to education and training courses, back to work schemes or take
up employment.
How General Eligibility is decided:
Most Medical Cards are granted on the basis of a means test and/or medical need. The Health Service Executive
agrees income guidelines at regular intervals broadly in line with inflation. If a patient’s income is above the
guideline figure, then usually they do not qualify for a Medical Card but they may do so if there are exceptional
medical circumstances or if they suffer undue financial hardship. Each individual case is decided on its merits
but a patient may qualify if their income is not much above the guideline figure and their medical costs are
exceptionally high.
Doctor Visit Card
Doctor Visit Card holders are entitled to the services of a GP free of charge.
The income guidelines are 50% higher than the medical card.
Anyone can apply for a Doctor Visit Card or a Medical Card, families, single people and even those working full
time.
The Doctor Visit Card is means tested.
One application form is now used for both Medical Cards and Doctor Visit Cards.
The HSE will assess each application for a full medical card in the first instance and then for Doctor visit card.
Application forms are available in Local Health Office.
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