Hi °C | Lo °C MORE than 8,200 medical card application forms submitted in January and February were not filled out properly, leading to delays, new figures show.
Some 97pc of people applying for a medical card, or renewing an existing one, are sorted out within 15 days. But many applicants are not filling the forms fully, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health was told.
A record 1.8 million of the population are now covered by a medical card at a time when the HSE has to make cuts of €721m.
An extra 100,000 medical cards and 130,000 GP cards will be issued, but 40,000 who already have the full benefit will lose them with tighter means-testing and the abolition of some outgoings which people could include in their eligibility criteria.
Irish Independent
