The Government's drawing a halt to the controversial review of discretionary medical cards that has seen children with Down Syndrome asked to verify that they are still sick.
It's being suspended while the H.S.E carries out a review of policy aimed at issuing cards on the basis of condition and not income.
The decision was made by the Cabinet's sub-committee on health this morning.
Junior Health Minister Alex White announced the decision in the Dáil:
The HSE said this evening it welcomes the Government decision taken today to develop the policy framework for medical card eligibility to take account of medical conditions.
"The HSE will establish an expert panel to examine the range of conditions that should be brought into consideration and acknowledges that this process will include the development of a new legislative framework, as necessary.
Arising from today's Government decision, the Director General of the HSE, Mr Tony O'Brien, has taken the decision to suspend reviews of medical cards where discretion is being applied i.e. where the individual is over the income threshold but discretion is being applied as a result of medical circumstances.
Reviews, where an individual's medical card has been granted on a discretionary basis, currently underway will be suspended and no further reviews will be commenced pending the outcome of the development of the new policy framework by Government."
