851. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the way in which inherited capital is assessed for medical card purposes in the case of an adult with a lifelong disability; if the HSE has discretion to retain a medical card where loss of eligibility would cause undue hardship given the person's ongoing medical needs; the number of such discretionary cards granted in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the…
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Medical Cards.
68 questions match, newest first.
852. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to granting medical card eligibility to persons with a lifelong disability on the basis of medical need rather than means; the number of persons with a lifelong disability who lost a medical card in each of the years 2020 to 2025 following the assessment of inherited capital, if this data is recorded; if not, the reason; and if she …
853. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons aged 70 and over who lost eligibility for a full medical card on review in each of the years 2021 to 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of these cases where an increase in social welfare or occupational pension income was the reason for loss of eligibility; the number estimated to lose eligibility in 2027 following the pension increases ann…
854. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason the gross weekly income limits for the over 70s medical card, which have remained at €550 for a single person and €1,050 for a couple since 1 November 2020, were not increased in budget 2027; the estimated cost of increasing the limits in line with the cumulative increase in the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory) since 2020; and if she wil…
2011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department receives aggregated national reporting from the Health Service Executive on the number of medical cards granted on a discretionary basis under the general medical services scheme; the total number of discretionary medical card applications received, approved and refused in each of the years from 2020 to 2025 across all age cohorts; and if s…
2012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national policy guidance or governance framework that applies to the exercise of discretion in medical card eligibility decisions following a means assessment under the general medical services scheme; and whether her Department reviews or audits the operation of discretionary decision-making to ensure national consistency. [19962/26]
2013. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive analyses regional or geographic variation in the granting or refusal of discretionary medical cards under the general medical services scheme; and whether any reports or internal reviews have been conducted on trends in discretionary decision-making from 2020 to 2025. [19963/26]
2014. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department maintains national data on discretionary medical card decisions affecting persons aged over 70 years-of-age; the number of discretionary applications considered for that cohort in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; the number approved; the number refused; and whether any policy review has been undertaken in relation to eligibility thresho…
2015. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for discretionary medical cards under the general medical services scheme that were refused but where applicants were subsequently granted a GP visit card in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; and whether the Department monitors such outcomes as part of its policy oversight of medical card eligibility decisions. [19965/26]
588. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any internal policy or distributional analysis of the impact of maintaining current medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over following the 2025 State Pension increase; if so, the date of such analysis; whether the findings were submitted to her for decision; and if she will make a statement on the matte…
589. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department sought advice from the ESRI in relation to the projected distributional impact of increasing medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over by €10 per week in line with the 2025 State pension increase; whether a policy recommendation was made to her arising from that modelling exercise; and if she will make a statement on …
590. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any consideration was given in Budget 2026 to adjusting medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over in line with pension increases; whether this option was costed by her Department; and if she will outline the policy rationale for maintaining existing thresholds. [15982/26]
591. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the number of persons aged 70 years and over whose income exceeds the Department of Social Protection State Pension by less than €20 per week and who are therefore at potential risk of medical card ineligibility under current thresholds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15983/26]
623. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive maintains data on medical card refusal rates disaggregated by age cohort; if so, whether she will provide the refusal rate for applicants aged 70 years and over in each of the years 2020 to 2025; and if not, the reason such data is not maintained. [16039/26]
624. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the gross and net weekly income thresholds applicable to applicants aged 70 years and over for a full medical card in each of the years 2020 to 2025; whether any interim administrative adjustments, circulars, or guidance notes altered the application of those thresholds during that period; and if she will provide copies of any such policy directions. [16040/26]
646. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department receives annual or quarterly statistical reports from the Health Service Executive on discretionary medical card approvals and refusals granted under the General Medical Services scheme in respect of persons aged over 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13798/26]
647. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the data provided to her Department by the Health Service Executive on discretionary medical card decisions is disaggregated by age cohort, geographic region, and outcome; and if she will outline the categories of data routinely received. [13799/26]
648. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical cards granted to persons aged over 70 following a means assessment in each of the years 2020 to 2025, inclusive; and the number of applications in that age cohort refused following discretionary assessment in each year. [13800/26]
649. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any review, audit, or policy assessment since 2020 of trends in the exercise of discretion in medical card eligibility decisions affecting persons aged over 70; and if she will provide details of any such review. [13801/26]
650. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether national guidance or policy directives are issued by her Department to ensure consistency in the exercise of discretion under the medical card scheme; and if she will outline the governance arrangements in place to monitor consistency and equity of outcomes for older persons. [13802/26]
651. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the financial impact on older persons who are refused discretionary medical card eligibility but granted a GP Visit Card; and if she will outline any policy considerations arising from such assessment. [13803/26]
659. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department receives, holds, or reviews aggregated data from the Health Service Executive or the Primary Care Reimbursement Service on the exercise of discretion in medical card eligibility decisions following a means assessment; the total number of applications in which discretion was considered in each of the years 2020 to 2025; the number granted on …
660. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal reporting framework exists between the Health Service Executive and her Department in respect of discretionary medical card decisions; the frequency of any such reporting; whether performance indicators, audit reviews, or internal compliance checks are conducted in relation to discretionary refusals; and if she will outline the Department’s role…
1138. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current reimbursement status of salbutamol nebules under the medical card and GP visit card schemes; whether any products previously covered are no longer reimbursed due to supplier disruption; and the date on which any such change took effect. [6499/26]
1141. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason medical card holders are being asked to pay out-of-pocket for essential asthma medication due to supplier issues; whether this is consistent with HSE policy on chronic disease management; and the actions she is taking to prevent a recurrence. [6502/26]