On 1st March reduced prescription charges came into effect for medical card holders aged 70 and over, notes Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, David Stanton.
“Since the beginning of this month the prescription charges for medical card holders over the age of 70 were reduced to €2 per item from €2.50. These medical card holders and their dependants will also benefit from a new a maximum monthly charge of €20, reduced from the standard monthly maximum of €25 per family for other medical card holders.
“These new charges will mean 335,000 older people across the country will now have their prescription charges reduced in the State Pension and come in addition to the recent €5 per week increase. These reductions deliver on a key commitment in the Fine Gael manifesto before the last election to reduce the cost of prescription charges for older people, and I am delighted that older people and their families are now benefitting.
“Fine Gael is working hard to protect the economic progress we have made, so that we can use it benefit the people who need it most. This includes older people, and we are working hard to ensure that that the fruits of our economic recovery are shared with them, across every region of the country.”
