Families with young children could be the next group to be given more generous access to medical cards, the Minister for Health and Children has indicated.
Speaking to journalists after addressing the IMPACT conference, Mr Martin defended the extension of the scheme to the over-70s and said there was a case for "making it easier for families to get medical cards based on income - that there should a higher threshold for families and large families with children".
Earlier the Minister had faced a call from IMPACT's health services division for the medical card scheme to be made universal.
Mr Martin estimated the cost of a universal scheme at £800 million and the cost of meeting the target of 5,000 additional hospital beds over the next 10 years at £1.8 billion.
He said it would be "very difficult" in the next seven years to meet all the competing demands that would be contained in the new Health Strategy Review. It was necessary to identify what people wanted and he felt most would prefer the emphasis to be on improving the quality of services rather than increasing access to them at their existing level.
The Minister sought to minimise differences at last Monday's Cabinet meeting. He said the Minister for Finance had added £1 billion to the health budget last year and had doubled the health estimates since coming to office. Monday's meeting was "never meant to be an estimates meeting".
Mr Martin said he welcomed "statements from trade union leaders who have identified health as a priority".
The Minister was given a standing ovation when he arrived at the conference. Mr Kevin Callinan, IMPACT's national officer for the 20,000strong health division, said members wished to "acknowledge the fresh way you have gone about your task", and "the vim and vigour that have been characteristic of your approach".
Mr Callinan said health services would be a central topic at the ICTU conference in July and "choices will have to be made that go beyond political parties, perhaps have the capacity to fracture and divide political parties".
Referring to the "the controversy which has arisen following Monday's Cabinet meeting, let me make it clear to you, Minister, if you have the courage and determination to lead the health services in the direction outlined, you will win the approval of the vast majority of health workers and the population as a whole".
The Minister received another standing ovation when he left the conference after outlining initiatives to upgrade and increase the number of specialists in various paramedic grades. He also welcomed the outcome of the Labour Relations Commission's review of industrial relations in the health service.