Medical Card/ GP Visit Card Guidelines.

Assessment guidelines

The HSE has published assessment guidelines for medical card applications:

• Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines (pdf)
• Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines for people aged 70 years and over (pdf)

Entitlement under EU Regulations

If you are getting a social security pension from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, or if you are working and paying social insurance in one of these countries, you may qualify for a medical card under EU rules if you are ordinarily resident in Ireland.

You must not be subject to Irish social security legislation. This means that you must not be in receipt of a contributory Irish social welfare payment or be working in Ireland and be liable to pay PRSI.

If you are living in Ireland and you are the dependant of a pensioner entitled under EU Regulations, or are the dependant of a person who is working in another country covered by the Regulations, you may be eligible for a medical card. You must not be subject to Irish social security legislation (in the case of child dependants this rule applies to the spouse or person looking after them).

Posted workers and their dependants may also qualify for the medical card. These are workers who are employed in another country covered by the regulations but are sent by their employers to work in Ireland for a limited time.

See the assessment guidelines for more information about entitlement under EU Regulations.

What Health Services are available Free of Charge with a Medical Card?

You are entitled to the following services if you have a Medical Card:

• Doctor Visits – a range of family doctor or GP services from a chosen doctor contracted to the HSE in your local area;
• Prescription Medicines: The supply of prescribed approved medicines, aids and appliances like wheelchairs, crutches etc. In some circumstances a deposit may be required for aids and appliances which will be refunded on return of the aid or appliance. A €2.50 charge applies to all prescription medicines dispensed to medical card patients;
• Certain Dental, Ophthalmic (Eye), and Aural (Ear) health services;
• Hospital Care – all in-patient services in public wards in public hospitals, including public consultant services;
• Hospital Visits – All out-patient services in public hospitals, including public consultant services;
• Medical & Midwifery Care for Mothers, including health care related to pregnancy and the care of the child for six weeks after birth;
• Some personal and social care services, for example, public health nursing, social work services and other community care services based on client need.

Source: www.hse.ie