Medical Card
Free GP visits, prescribed medicines (subject to a small charge), public hospital care, dental, optical and aural services. Means-tested for most people, but automatic for some groups.
- Type
- Means-tested
- Paid
- Not a cash payment
- Taxable
- No
- Administered by
- Health Service Executive (HSE)
How much is Medical Card?
Entitlement, not a payment
The Medical Card is not a cash payment — it is an entitlement to services. Income limits differ by age: for over-70s the weekly gross income limit is €550 for a single person and €1,050 for a couple. Under-70s are assessed on income after rent or mortgage, childcare and travel-to-work costs.
Who can get Medical Card
- Most applicants under 70 are assessed on income after rent or mortgage, childcare and travel-to-work costs.
- For people aged over 70 the weekly gross income limit is €550 for a single person and €1,050 for a couple.
- Some groups qualify with no means test at all — see the table above.
- Working Family Payment is not counted in the medical card means test.
- If you have been getting a social welfare payment for a year or more and return to work, you may be able to keep your medical card for up to 3 years — but you must submit a new medical card application saying you are applying on that basis. It is not automatic.
The Medical Card means test
Assessed by the HSE, not the Department of Social Protection — the rules are different in kind, not just in number. Income after certain expenses is assessed, savings up to €36,000 (single) or €72,000 (couple) are disregarded, and above that only the interest earned counts, never the capital itself. Some groups are exempt entirely.
| Savings and investments disregarded — single person | €36,000 |
|---|---|
| Savings and investments disregarded — couple | €72,000 |
| Weekly gross income limit — single person aged over 70 | €550 |
| Weekly gross income limit — couple aged over 70 | €1,050 |
| Group | Medical card | GP visit card |
|---|---|---|
| People aged over 70 | Means test | No means test |
| Children aged under 8 | Means test | No means test |
| People getting Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit | Means test | No means test |
| People with EU entitlement | No means test | n/a |
| Children under 18 diagnosed with cancer in the last 5 years | No means test | n/a |
| People seeking International Protection getting the Daily Expenses Allowance | No means test | n/a |
| People affected by the drug Thalidomide | No means test | n/a |
How your savings are assessed
Medical Card and GP Visit Card. Administered and assessed by the HSE, not the Department of Social Protection — so none of the DSP scales apply.
| Capital | Weekly means assessed |
|---|---|
| Savings, investments or property up to €36,000 (single) or €72,000 (couple) | Disregarded |
| Above that limit | Only the interest or income earned is counted, not the capital |
Capital means your savings, investments, stocks, shares and any property other than your own home. Your own home is never assessed. Capital belonging to a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is included.
Things people get caught by
- The 3-year retention rule matters to anyone deciding whether to take a job — but it has two conditions people miss: you must have been on a qualifying social welfare payment for a year or more, and you must submit a new application on that basis. Your dependent family members may keep their cards too, even if they start work during those 3 years.
- Working Family Payment does not count as income for the medical card means test.
- The HSE assesses capital differently from every Department payment: it disregards €36,000 (single) or €72,000 (couple) and then counts only the interest earned above that, not a notional weekly value of the savings.
What else you might get
Payments interact. These are the ones that commonly go with Medical Card.
- Working Family Payment
WFP is disregarded in the medical card means test.
- Carer's Allowance
Carers get a GP visit card without a means test.