It is obscene that over-70 millionaires are entitled to medical cards when a low-income couple with three children is not considered eligible, the Labour party said.
In response, Ms Harney pledged to address the issue in the Budget Estimates.
Publishing its analysis on medical card holders yesterday, the Labour party said the number of low-income medical card holders had dropped by over 200,000 since the Government came to power in 1997.
This figure is reached when the decrease in the number of people covered by medical cards, some 101,279 people, is added to the number of over 70s who now hold medical cards but would not do so if they were means tested.
Some 111,065 people fall into this category as a result of the Government extending medical card eligibility to all over 70s regardless of their means in 2001.
Ms Liz McManus, Labour's spokeswoman on health, said the number of medical card holders is at an all-time low of 25.7 per cent of the population, down from 34.6 per cent in 1977.
The income thresholds for medical cards have only increased marginally since 1997 and have not kept pace with the 62 per cent medical inflation increase or increases in the basic social welfare payment which has gone up by 61 per cent, she said.
Ms McManus dismissed Government claims that it was a result of more people working.
"It is true that more people are at work but it is not employment that precludes a person from qualifying for a medical card, it is the stringent income limits that are imposed," she said.
In its 2002 election manifesto, Fianna Fáil said it would extend medical card eligibility to over 200,000 extra people. To date this hasn't happened. Ms McManus says that figure now needs to be raised to 400,000.
Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter adds: The Minister for Health, Ms Harney, indicated last night the Budget Estimates in a fortnight would contain measures to increase medical card coverage.
Ruling out a universal medical card system, she said that the State should not have to pay for "well-off, healthy people" to visit the doctor. Her speech to a PD meeting was given by Minister of State Mr Tim O'Malley as it was stated she was ill with "a bug". The goal was to provide medical cards for people on low incomes and to parents, the speech said.