Medical cards, the 'over 70s' and all that... ...out of the frying pan?

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WP-2009-01.pdf(131.96 KB)
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Date
2009-08
Authors
Kenneally, Martin
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Centre for Policy Studies, University College Cork
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Abstract
The government removed the ‘automatic’ entitlement to a medical card for persons reaching age 70 on 1 January 2009. Since then, persons aged ‘over 70’ must satisfy a means test to receive a medical card. This policy has imposed extra GP and pharmacy costs on those elderly who lost their medical cards far greater than the financial savings the HSE achieved by it, which implies that the policy is inefficient. The same level of GP and pharmacy services can be delivered at lower cost both to those who lost their medical cards and to the HSE. I sketch an alternative efficient policy that provides the elderly with greater financial protection for the medical risks they face and that may encourage them to avail of preventative medical services and thereby mitigate longer term medical costs.
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Keywords
Medical cards , Health Service Executive , Savings , Policy change
Citation
Kenneally, M., 2009.Medical cards, the 'over 70s' and all that... ...out of the frying pan? Centre for Policy Studies Working Papers. Cork: Centre for Policy Studies, University College Cork.
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©2009 Martin Kenneally