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Cowen announces huge increase in medical card thresholds
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
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The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, has announced major changes to the Government's decision to end the automatic medical-card entitlement for people over the age of 70.
Speaking during a hastily arranged press conference this morning, Mr Cowen announced a huge increase in the income thresholds that it plans to impose on the scheme.
The original threshold was €240-a-week for a single person and €480-a-week for a couple, but the Taoiseach said this morning that the Government had decided to raise these figures to €700 and €1,400 respectively.
He also confirmed that only those applying for over-70s medical cards after January 1st will have to face a means test.
Current medical-card holders who exceed the new thresholds will be asked to voluntary notify the HSE about their circumstances.
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