1,000 a month losing discretionary medical cards

More than 1,000 people a month are losing their discretionary medical cards, with a total drop of nearly 10,000 in the first eight months of the year.

Figures from the Health Service Executive show the number of cards provided on the basis of severe medical needs rather than income has reduced from 63,126 last year to 53,884 in August. This is below what the HSE’s latest monthly management report — published yesterday — describes as a “target year-to-date” to have 55,000 discretionary medical cards in circulation

Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil there was a lot of “scare mongering” around the issue and that “every person in this country who deserves a medical card will have a medical card”.