Other ways you might qualify for a Medical Card or GP Visit Card
This page is for people whose situation might not be clear from income and regular bills alone.
It helps you spot special routes that the HSE may look at, and then sends you to the detailed rules or apply pages.
Use this topic if you or someone you support wants to:
- Tell the HSE about a change of address
- Report changes in job, social welfare payments or income
- Keep a Medical Card after you start work or join an employment scheme
- Add a child or new dependant to your card
- Understand which changes might lead to a review of your card
Tip
You can use this page on its own. Or start with the Income and expenses checker if you want a simple first pass.
Note
This page offers plain language guidance. It is not a legal document.
Only the Health Service Executive (HSE) can make an official decision about a medical card or GP visit card.
Check if any of these situations sound like you
Use the sections below as a guide. You can open as many as you need.
Each section points you to the right part of the Income and expenses guidelines for a Medical Card or GP Visit Card and to next steps.
1. Someone in our household is 70 or over
If you, your spouse or partner, or another adult in your household is 70 or over, different income rules may apply.
For people aged 70 or over, the HSE uses a Gross Income Scheme with higher income limits than for people under 70. There are separate limits for:
- a single person aged 70 or over
- a married or cohabiting couple where at least one person is 70 or over
In many cases, people on this route may qualify for:
- a Medical Card if their gross weekly income is within the medical card limit, or
- a universal GP Visit Card if their income is above the medical card limit but within the higher GP Visit Card limit
Savings and investments up to a set level are ignored under this scheme. Above that level, part of the savings is treated as weekly income.
What you can do next
2. We are applying for a child or young person
You may be applying for a card for a child or young person, or you may have children in the household.
The HSE uses special child amounts when they check the means test.
When the HSE works out your financial threshold, they can add an extra weekly amount for each dependent child.
These amounts differ for:
- the first two dependent children under 16
- the third and later children under 16
- the first two dependent children over 16
- the third and later dependent children over 16
- a dependent over 16 in full time education where there is no grant
These amounts are added to the basic rate for your household before they compare it with your income.
This can make it easier for families with children to meet the income limit.
Some income related to children is not assessed, for example certain education supports or schemes listed in the guidelines.
What you can do next
3. Our medical or care costs are unusually high
For some households, income on its own does not tell the full story.
You may still qualify for help if very high medical or care costs are making it hard to manage.
The HSE can sometimes award a discretionary Medical Card or GP Visit Card, even where income is above the usual guideline, if:
- you or someone you support has ongoing medical conditions that need regular GP or hospital care
- you have regular costs for medicines, dressings or medical appliances that are not fully covered by schemes
- there are nursing home costs, home care costs, or other necessary care costs
- your income or outgoings have changed recently in a way that puts serious pressure on your budget
They may ask to see evidence such as:
- letters or reports from your GP or hospital team
- receipts for regular medical or care costs
- details of other necessary expenses that are hard to avoid
What you can do next
- Check which expenses the HSE may take into account
- Start collecting receipts, letters and notes about your situation so you can explain it clearly if you decide to apply or ask for a review.
4. Our income is mainly from social welfare or is more complex
For some people, the type of income matters as much as the amount.
You may still qualify, or be treated differently, if:
- most or all of your income is from social welfare or HSE payments
- your income is from self employment or a small business
- you have savings, investments or property other than your home that may be counted
If all of your income is from social welfare or HSE payments, you may qualify for a Medical Card even if it is above the normal limit, under the national guidelines.
If you have other income sources, the HSE will look at:
- which income is counted as assessable income
- which income is not assessed at all
- how any savings, investments or extra property are turned into a weekly income figure
- how self employed or irregular income is converted into a weekly amount
What you can do next
- Check how your type of income is treated
- Start gathering any letters or statements that explain your income. For example, gather any letters from Revenue, your accountant or the Department of Social Protection.
5. None of these situations sounds like us
If none of the situations on this page seem to fit, you can still:
-
Use the Income and expenses checker if you have not already done so.
-
Read the full Income and expenses guidelines for a Medical Card or GP Visit Card
- Talk to your GP, Citizens Information or the National Medical Card Unit about your own situation.
What you can do next
- Decide which special situation panel matches you best.
- Follow the links in that panel to read the detailed rules in the Income and expenses guidelines for a Medical Card or GP Visit Card topic.
- When you are ready, move on to the apply steps for a Medical Card or GP Visit Card.
- If you are still unsure, keep a note of which panels you opened and bring this with you when you talk to a GP or Citizens Information.