Minister for Health states:
"Eligibility for a medical card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970. The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. That is the amount of money that an individual can earn per week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to one's individual financial circumstances.
People under 70 are assessed under the general means-tested medical card thresholds which are based on an applicant's household income after deduction of tax, PRSI and universal social charge. Certain expenses are also taken into account. People aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. However, those aged over 70 can also be assessed under the general means-tested scheme where there are particularly high costs.
My Department keeps medical card issues under review in order to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs. Over the course of 2025, we will review the existing eligibility framework to clearly assess what is working well and to inform future policy proposals regarding the eligibility framework based on robust evidence. That is an important step towards delivering universal healthcare in Ireland.
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