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Why is it so taboo for me to own a medical card?

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Comments

  • #62
    Mad_maxx
    Registered Users Posts: 13,505 ✭✭✭✭Mad_maxx


    AulWan wrote: »
    Its automatically granted for the over 70s, without a means test.

    If your father chooses to pay, he can, but he is throwing money away on principle as your mother is entitled to a medical card.

    I'd be surprised if a GP took his money, to be honest.

    No rules against him having all the private health insurance / paying for consultantsor private hospital he wants, but the GP visits should be free.

    It's not automatically granted, about 95% of over seventies qualify however


  • #63
    KMPT
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭KMPT


    Potential-Monke wrote: »
    I wouldn't call it taboo, but more annoyance. I don't have one. Never had, and hopefully will be financially stable enough and healthy enough that I won't need to apply for one. But it's annoyance when I see people who don't deserve one with one. Depending on how sick you get, having a medical card can save thousands! It does annoy me somewhat that I have to pay up to €60 and other people get it for free. But the dole in general annoys me. As does the free money for having sex (child allowance). Basically, I don't want anyone else getting anything for free while I work for it.

    Yes, I'm a bitter old man in my mid to late 30s.

    You're quite young. Life changes so you don't know what your circumstances will be in future. Don't be so judgmental about who you think deserves the card. They won't get it without meeting the criteria and there are several reasons to apply for one. Please God it doesn't happen to you but you might need the free money as you say one day. I used to feel that way too until I was unemployed. Felt the same about social welfare recipients too until life gave me a reality check. Thank God for social welfare otherwise I don't know how I would've managed until things got better. Also because someone has a medical card doesn't mean they are running up the HSE bill.


  • #64
    AulWan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭AulWan


    Mad_maxx wrote: »
    It's not automatically granted, about 95% of over seventies qualify however

    You are correct. I guess I assumed it was automatic because I've never heard of an over 70 who didn't qualify! (One of my friends works processing the over 70s applications).

    They've increased the threshold for over-70s in the budget too, by €50 per week for a single person and €100 for a couple.


  • #65
    Aisling(",)
    Registered Users Posts: 6,377 ✭✭✭Aisling(",)


    AulWan wrote: »
    You are correct. I guess I assumed it was automatic because I've never heard of an over 70 who didn't qualify! (One of my friends works processing the over 70s applications).

    They've increased the threshold for over-70s in the budget too, by €50 per week for a single person and €100 for a couple.

    My parents don't qualify.

    They are well below the weekly cut off point but have always been hard savers and that money is means tested. They're rearing their teenage grandchild and going to have to sort out college so they're just planning for all eventualities.


  • #66
    Mad_maxx
    Registered Users Posts: 13,505 ✭✭✭✭Mad_maxx


    AulWan wrote: »
    You are correct. I guess I assumed it was automatic because I've never heard of an over 70 who didn't qualify! (One of my friends works processing the over 70s applications).

    They've increased the threshold for over-70s in the budget too, by €50 per week for a single person and €100 for a couple.

    The threshold is grotesquely high


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  • #67
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    Aisling(",) wrote: »
    My parents don't qualify.

    They are well below the weekly cut off point but have always been hard savers and that money is means tested. They're rearing their teenage grandchild and going to have to sort out college so they're just planning for all eventualities.

    They could gift enough to their children to take care of such so as to qualify for the MC.


  • #68
    Aisling(",)
    Registered Users Posts: 6,377 ✭✭✭Aisling(",)


    Mad_maxx wrote: »
    The threshold is grotesquely high

    I'm not disagreeing with you. I think it's a mental amount to have in savings but I was just using them as an example of people who don't qualify.


  • #69
    AulWan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭AulWan


    Aisling(",) wrote: »
    My parents don't qualify.

    They are well below the weekly cut off point but have always been hard savers and that money is means tested. They're rearing their teenage grandchild and going to have to sort out college so they're just planning for all eventualities.

    Just so I'm understanding you correctly - they're well below the cut off point, but they're disqualified because of their savings? That's very unfair.

    (Are they over 70?)


  • #70
    dartboardio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭dartboardio


    Chinese whospers wrote: »
    GP only card?

    I don't see anyone on €60k getting full medical card.

    I do..

    Some people have major outgoings. So some people's threshold is crazy high because of that.


  • #71
    dartboardio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭dartboardio


    Mad_maxx wrote: »
    Over seventies couple can earn over 70k combined and still qualify for two medical cards




    Over seventies don't automatically get a medical card as someone earlier said, they get a GP visit card

    Over seventies threshold at the moment is €900 combined gross income per week. Will be increasing but not in effect yet

    Savings you can have up to €72000 without declaring it if you're married

    €36000 if single

    If you're a carer you're entitled to a free GP card. Likewise if you're seventy or over.


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