Number of medical card holders

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Ceist Beag

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I haven't seen any real discussion about the medical card changes announced but one figure that completely shocked me was the announcement that there are currently just under 1.9 million medical card holders in the country. Is that figure really true or is it a case of politicians playing with numbers? Is it really the case that over 2 out of every 5 people in the country have a medical card?
I'm not for a minute suggesting that there are not plenty out there who need and depend on a medical card, but I find it very hard to believe that over 2 out of every 5 people need one.
 
I think 43% of the population had one before the budget. That will rise now with the under 5's. Funny thing is that I don't know one person who has one!
 
This has to be pure spin. I don't know any one that has one either apart from the over 70's and many of them are about to loose them
 
450,000 signing on. I presume all these have one.

You could probably treble that number to take into account family members.

Not sure how many over 70's there are, but I would imagine the majority would qualify.

It's not too hard to see the 1.9 million.
 
I thought it was amusing to hear of probity measures to be applied to cleaning up the medical card system as part of Budget 2014. It shouldn't need a new Budget to do this. Maintaining a database of medical card holders free of deceased persons, new holders, expired cards etc is a pretty basic continuous requirement that should be a given anyway.
 
callybags said:
450,000 signing on. I presume all these have one.

You could probably treble that number to take into account family members.

Not sure how many over 70's there are, but I would imagine the majority would qualify.

It's not too hard to see the 1.9 million.
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Just becuase you are on the dole doesn't mean you get a medical card. It would be nowhere near the full number.
 
STEINER said:
I thought it was amusing to hear of probity measures to be applied to cleaning up the medical card system as part of Budget 2014. It shouldn't need a new Budget to do this. Maintaining a database of medical card holders free of deceased persons, new holders, expired cards etc is a pretty basic continuous requirement that should be a given anyway.
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I agree. Surely if they find €130m in probity savings this year, it means we have lost a multiple of that over the past couple of years. There is waste and then there is plain incompetence.
 
FEW THINGS;
Sunny; Steiner. You are correct it was pure incompetence ; hope they do take dead peoples cards away etc!
Ceist Beag; I think it is good that we are heading towards Medical Cards for everyone.; in the same way we have Universal National Schooling/Hospital access.
 
I recall reading somewhere that some years ago after the furore of the over 70s being restricted it was left to these people, including myself, to tell HSE if you did not qualify under the relative figure. I think it was stated recently only 5 did.
 
Dewdrop {What we have we hold}comes to mind.In any event it would be easy to check.
Our problem seems to be spineless politics.
 
Sunny said:
Funny thing is that I don't know one person who has one!
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Nobody except my GP knows that I have one!

I think there is rather a stigma attached to having one - a sort of "you have a job and aren't starving so you must be scamming the system somehow". I don't think many people boast about it if they are working types going through a hard patch.

For example an acquaintance of mine was giving out last year that her sister was going on a holiday and she had a medical card.
 
Mrs Vimes said:
Nobody except my GP knows that I have one!

I think there is rather a stigma attached to having one - a sort of "you have a job and aren't starving so you must be scamming the system somehow". I don't think many people boast about it if they are working types going through a hard patch.

For example an acquaintance of mine was giving out last year that her sister was going on a holiday and she had a medical card.
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If 43% of the population have a full medical or GP card, you can bet your life there is scamming of the system. 43% of the population get help with medical expenses. The other 57% get screwed in health insurance.

Not a dig at you by the way. There are many people who rightly deserve and get a medical card.
 
No dig taken :)

we've somehow managed to hang on to the health insurance too, so getting screwed that way as well!

I don't doubt that there is plenty of scamming going on, it's why we've kept it quiet, also when you're self-employed no-one really knows your situation except what you choose to reveal.

If I remember correctly the means test also takes into account housing costs so the celtic tiger mortgages so many of us have would be qualifying more people too.
 
Sunny said:
If 43% of the population have a full medical or GP card, you can bet your life there is scamming of the system.
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That's the conclusion you have to come to alright Sunny. Especially after hearing the qualifying criteria on Prime Time last night - anyone taking home more than €180 per week is not entitled to one unless they can prove their allowable expenses qualify them for one.
What is really heartbreaking is when you hear of real cases where people have lost medical cards that they really depend on. Ultimately to me this sounds like a societal problem as much as a governmental one. Those who have medical cards but are no longer entitled to them should hand them back in - it's the right and decent thing to do. Instead it becomes the problem of the government to find these people and take the cards off them - in the meantime people who really need the card suffer.
 
I know people who earn 50k gross, pay under 10% tax, have several hundred thousand on deposit.

They have medical cards.


To answer the question:

The official name for the medical card is the GMS scheme, which is part of PCRS.

PCRS = Primary Care Reimbursement Service

http://www.pcrs.ie/
 
They are not bypassing rules, it's legit.

One of them is over 70, so the means test is 1200pw for a married couple.

1000 pw gross income
Under 10% tax
Two medical cards
Two travel passes
Free TV licence
Subsidised elec
Subsidised telecom until 2014

350k on deposit + 150k in pension funds

= 500k financial assets

GREAT COUNTRY!!!!!!
 
I have written on this before and will briefly outline what I have stated.
Husband and wife in early 60's both on Disability Pension
Husband does not take any medication or attend doctor for his "disability"
Wife had a serious operation but has made a good recovery and is mobile for the past 6 months.
She has a medical card
Husband also gets a carers allowance
Husband has a pension of €500pw
Disability pension €200pw approx.
Carers €200pw approx
Wife €200pw disability pension.
They also have household package and free travel.
They own their own house and have no dependants.
They have €125k in savings.
Husband is uite active for his age.
All of above has been checked by the system and they qualified after appeals and is in place for some time.
Not that bad of a country after all.
 
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