"Government must provide the HSE with a clear date for the agreed changes" - Nolan

The Government has failed to provide the HSE with a date for the implementation of increased thresholds for GP Visit Cards despite widespread reporting that changes to the thresholds to include people who earn no more than the median household income were due to come into effect in April.

The information was provided to Laois/Offaly Independent TD Carol Nolan by the HSE’s Primary Care Eligibility & Reimbursement Service after she sought clarification on the matter.

This now means that more than 340,000 people who were due to become newly eligible for the GP Visit Card will have to wait for an unspecified amount of time before the threshold changes are applied to the application process.

The rise in the income threshold were announced by Government as part of a series of measures in Budget 2023.

As part of its reply to Deputy Nolan the HSE noted that, the Government have not yet given a date for the implementation of increased thresholds but that once it is officially implemented, details will be circulated via the media and applications can be made online from the date announced:

“This is an appalling situation and there is absolutely no excuse for it,” said Deputy Nolan.

“I have been contacted by a substantial number of people who were left hugely disappointed after going through the application process. Unfortunately for them they quickly found out that the Government commitment to implement the income changes are not worth the paper they are written on, as of yet at least.”

“Government must provide the HSE with a clear date for the agreed changes as soon as possible,” concluded Deputy Nolan.