More over-70s likely to keep their medical cards

MORE people over the age of 70 are likely to hold onto their medical cards than was intended in the budget as a result of Government moves over the weekend.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen admitted yesterday that the Government’s controversial decision to abolish automatic entitlement to medical cards would not go ahead in its present form.

During an interview on RTÉ radio, Mr Cowen accepted that the Government’s decision on the over-70s medical card did not have the wider public acceptance it needed.