The latest figures for the number of people taking up the new GP-only medical card have been welcomed by Minister for Health Mary Harney, who stressed that the facility was available to people on average incomes.
According to official figures, there are now 23,782 people with GP visit cards.
"The Government introduced the GP visit card to enable people, particularly families with young children, on moderate incomes to visit their GP free of charge. It is intended to help also in removing poverty traps and disincentives to people taking up work or progressing to better paid work," Ms Harney said.
Just over a month ago the Minister announced an increase in the basic income guidelines for the GP visit card from 25 per cent above the medical card income rate to 50 per cent. The Health Service Executive assesses applicants on the basis of their income after tax and PRSI and also takes into account reasonable expenses incurred in relation to house mortgage or rental costs, childcare and travel to work.
"I would like to stress that the GP visit card is available to people on average incomes, if their weekly outgoings are such that their disposable income falls within the limits set down," Ms Harney said. "I want to encourage people who feel that they may qualify for a GP visit card to make an application to their local HSE office," she added.
However, Fine Gael said the Government's claim that it was seeking to extend medical card cover rang very hollow in the light of the fact that almost 40 per cent of people who were refused medical cards managed to obtain them on appeal. Fine Gael health spokesman in the Seanad, Senator Fergal Browne, said HSE data for 2002 showed a surprisingly high success rate for people appealing the initial refusal of a medical card.
"With this level of appeals being granted, it is clear that the medical card system involves a huge amount of wasted administrative time. If the Government is serious about extending medical card eligibility and encouraging more people to apply, then it should not be the case that so many people who turn out to be eligible on appeal are refused in the first place," he said.
"I am fully aware from my constituents of the lengthy and tortuous process of an appeal and the difficulty in finding out information about the status of your application. It stands to reason that there is an enormous administrative effort behind this which could be alleviated with clear guidelines on qualifying criteria," said Mr Browne.
The administrative burden was not helped by the annual medical card review where certain current holders must reapply each year.
"I appreciate the fact that in the case of applicants who have been granted a card on financial grounds, their financial situation may change and they may need to be reassessed for eligibility, although I would question the need to do so on an annual basis.
"However, in the case of people who have been awarded a medical card on medical grounds surely their condition should be taken into account and the need for an annual review eliminated or mitigated. The Tánaiste has acknowledged to me in the past that she supports this proposal but she has done nothing to change the status quo in the interim."