Means test to stay as main qualifier for medical card

A person’s financial means will remain the main qualifier for the granting of a medical card for the majority of the population, Health Minister Leo Varadkar will tell the Cabinet today.

He will also rule out the future awarding of cards based on a list of specific medical conditions.

Following the public furore last year over the cancellation of thousands of discretionary medical cards, Mr Varadkar will announce a new system for awarding future cards in the next fortnight. He will also publish within two weeks the Keane report where an expert group examined reforming the card system.