Healthcare Forms
Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) Card
DPS Scheme Application Form – If you are not entitled to a medical card, you will be entitled to a Drugs Payment Scheme card.
Under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) an individual or family will pay no more than €114 each calendar month for:
- approved prescribed drugs and medicines
- rental costs for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine
- rental costs for oxygen
If you don’t have a medical card and you pay more than €114 a month for any of these, you should apply for a Drug Payment Scheme Card.
Medical Card Application
A medical card is a lifesaver for many people to cover the costs of healthcare expenses including prescription medication. Anyone who is ‘ordinarily resident’ in the Republic of Ireland can apply for a medical card or GP visit card. This includes families, single people, even those working full or part-time. ‘Ordinarily resident” means that you are living here and intend to live here for at least one year. Not everybody is eligible for a medical card. It depends on your circumstances and to see if you are eligible you can read the criteria on the HSE Website.
Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme
If you have a medical condition covered by the Long Term Illness Scheme, you can get most medication, and many medical and surgical appliances related to the condition free of charge.
You must be ordinarily resident in Ireland to qualify. This means that you are living here and intend to live here for at least one year. Students from outside the EU do not qualify for the Long Term Illness Scheme.
The Long Term Illness Scheme does not depend on your income or other circumstances. You may also be eligible for a Medical card or GP visit card, depending on your circumstances.
The medical conditions that qualify under the Long Term Illness Scheme are:
- Intellectual disability
- Mental illness (for people under 16 only)
- Diabetes insipidus
- Diabetes mellitus
- Haemophilia
- Cerebral palsy
- Phenylketonuria
- Epilepsy
- Cystic fibrosis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spina bifida
- Muscular dystrophies
- Hydrocephalus
- Parkinsonism
- Acute leukaemia
- Conditions arising from use of Thalidomide
If you qualify, you will get a long-term illness card. You do not have to pay a prescription charge for drugs you are approved for under the Long Term Illness Scheme. Other drugs and medicines not related to the specified condition must be paid for in the normal way.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) Scheme
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to free or reduced-cost healthcare in another EU or European Economic Area (EEA) member state. It protects you when you are on vacation or a short-term stay.
Typically, a short-term stay works for people who stay in Ireland for less than three months. A student, however, acts as a visitor for a short-term stay of up to a full academic year.
Several methods apply in your application depending on whether you live in Ireland. It also applies if you live in a country from European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland.
