What is Medical card?
People need a '''medical card''' in the [[Republic of Ireland]] to get free or reduced-rate medical treatment. The cards come from the [[Health Service Executive]]..<ref>{{Cite web|last=Citizensinformation.ie|title=Medical cards|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/medical_cards_and_gp_visit_cards/medical_card.html|access-date=2023-03-15|website=www.citizensinformation.ie|language=en}}</ref> They are [[Means test|meanstested]]. Older people - over 66 and over 70 - have higher limits. The weekly income limit for a single person living alone under 66 is €184 after tax, [[Universal Social Charge]] and [[Pay Related Social Insurance]]. For people over 70 the limit is €550 for a single person. There are also allowances for housing costs and the costs of travelling to work. Savings, [[investment]]<nowiki/>s or [[property]] of more than €36,000 for a single person gives a weekly income for each €1,000.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Citizensinformation.ie|title=Medical card means test: aged under 70|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/medical_cards_and_gp_visit_cards/medical_card_means_test_under_70s.html|access-date=2023-03-15|website=www.citizensinformation.ie|language=en}}</ref> The card entitles the holder to free visits to [[General practitioner|general practitioners]], free or very reduced-price hospital and [[Dentistry|dental]] treatment, and [[Prescription|prescribed]] medicine for a charge of €1.50 per item. People who dont have a medical card may be able to get a GP visit card. This lets them visit a participating family doctor ([[General practitioner|GP]]) for free. This has higher income limits. All children under the age of 6 and people getting get Carer’s Benefit or Carer’s Allowance get one free.[https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/medical_cards_and_gp_visit_cards/gp_visit_cards.html] 300,000 fewer people had medical cards in 2021 than in 2011 but 86,000 more had GP visit cards.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Almost 40,000 fewer medical cards issued last year|url=https://www.irish