Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue, welcomed the securing of government approval to expand access to medical cards, making them available to all those who are terminally ill.
The cards will also be available to those who have a prognosis of up to 24 months.
Minister McConalogue said: “This Government made a commitment in its Programme for Government to extend medical card eligibility in cases of terminal illness. Today’s approval by the Government will be an important change for terminally ill people and their families at one of the most difficult times in their lives. The provision of a medical card can provide much needed certainty and reassurance.”
Minister Donnelly noted that he now intends to direct the HSE to put in place arrangements to enable all those with a prognosis of up to 24 months to be eligible for a medical card.
This new arrangement will confer a benefit to patients with diagnoses across a range of specialties such as:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Respiratory
- Oncology
