Age Action has called on the Government to reverse its decision to abolish automatic entitlement to a medical card for all over 70s.

This follows the recommendation yesterday that all over 70s medical card patients should attract a GP fee of
€290.

Age Action says that as the Government has admitted it can now save €80 million of the €100 million savings targeted in its initial medical card cutback proposal through the new GP fee and drug savings, it should allow all over 70s to keep their medical cards.

Although the Government, following widespread public protests, substantially increased the income limtis for over 70s medical cards last week, it is estimated that 20,000 pensioners stand to lose their medical cards from January.

Age Action says the Government is now planning to abolish automatic entitlement of over 70s to medical cards for the sake of saving €20 million.

While it said it welcomed the savings made through the new GP fee and planned economies in drug prescribing, these options should have been explored before removing the medical card entitlement from more than 20,000 older people.

Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly said the Government had spread terror among the elderly for the sake of saving €16 million from changes in GP fees.

The Government has said the remaining targeted savings will come through planned reductions in drug costs.

Dr Reilly said the report on the GP fee rate by Mr Eddie Sullivan showed that Health Minister Mary Harney could have found alternative savings before the Budget, instead of targeting elderly people as a 'soft touch.'

See also,'GPs face massive over 70s fee cut'...http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=14528