Services may be provided instead of full medical card

Specific medical services could be provided to patients or people with disabilities instead of a full medical card, the health minister has indicated.

Leo Varadkar has made a number of public comments in recent days on the Government’s previous commitment to award medical cards based on medical needs — and not just income — which he believes may not be feasible.

His predecessor, James Reilly, had put in place an expert panel which he said would examine “how we can, into the future, make sure that people with medical conditions get a medical card, not based on income, but based on their medical condition”.