A Press Release from the Department of Health today (6 October 2020) announced that the Minister for Health, Mr Stephen Donnelly TD, has secured funding for a range of measures that will make healthcare more affordable for more than a million people across the country.
This funding, which was agreed at Cabinet today, will allow for the much-awaited increases in the over 70s medical card income limits (see below), a reduction in the Drugs Payment Scheme threshold by €10 to €114 per month and provide for a €0.50c reduction in prescription charges for all medical card holders. Eligible medical card holders under the age of 70 will now only pay a maximum of €15 per month for prescribed medicines; those over the age of 70 will only pay a maximum of €10 per month for prescribed medicines.
The funding secured today will ensure that the over 70s medical card income limits will be increased to €550 per week for a single person (currently €500 per week) and to €1050 for a couple (currently €900 per week). This measure will be the first increase to the limits since they were last reduced six years ago.
It is expected that all of these measures will take effect from November 1st this year.
