I take it...since the YES vote is close to 50%....these voters invariably do not have a medical card? Yes?  Since this is a logical assumption.....should'nt we be thinking what engenders this 'agrivation' ?

Seems to me....there must be many people who should be (morally) entitled to a med card who are presently refused.

The question should be asked....are their people in Irish society who deserve/need the med card....above what the govt/bureaucrats deem worthy?

I believe yes...emphatically....and the sooner the paper-pushers realise we know it.....the better!! 

Before any detractors jump to support the contraction of the med-card allocation....and say we could not afford it......please check out the following....which is only one small example of the politicians greed for themselves:

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/jul/19/state-aids-billionaires/

Whether working or not....those at the bottom will always be abused and taken for a ride by the politicians....if you don't believe that....then, well...they will always win and you'll always be screwed !!

We have a medical card and i am willing to pay 5 euro towards our prescriptions. My husaband is 75 and I am 68. Every year I have to fill in the same questions on the form. Why ? No I didn't get a well paid job or win the lotto.

hi

people shouldnt have to pay for their meds, its a disgrace that people are asked to pay.

As most long term medication is prescribed 3 or 6 months at a time, I don't think €5 every 3 months is too much to ask. I do however think that the co-payment amount should be limited per family per month, so that if someone has to get a few prescriptions filled over a short period of time, they aren't paying multiple copayments.

I know our local doctor has in the past given my sister a prescription to get filled if a particular condition doesn't improve within a few days. Because she is not on a medical card, she will wait to see if she needs it before she fills it - so she's not paying for something she doesn't need. Because someone on a medical card is not paying, they could get it filled and then never need it - pure waste.

No, i do not agree. My son has been diagnosed with epilepsy - until he got his medical card (the only person in the family) we spent a small fortune on GP visits, medication and ambulances. Those who abuse the medical card system should pay but how do you sort out the genuine from those who flout the system ( i sadly know plenty who have medical cards who through working cash in hand - they could well afford to pay for prescriptions)

Maybe a similar system to the UK would be better - let all kids and the elderly go free and let the remainder be charged.

By charging a small fee the abuse of the system may be reduced. Many people get medicine just because they are entitled to it even when they do not really need it. This, combined with over-prescription, is wasteful.