<P> The card entitles the holder to free visits to general practitioners (GPs), free or drastically reduced - price hospital and dental treatment, and prescribed medication for a nominal charge of € 2.50 per item . Holders are also exempt from paying the income levy and health levy, and are entitled to a range of other benefits . </P> <P> A GP visit card is available to people earning up to 50% above the income limit . As the name suggests, it grants free visits to GPs, but does not include any of the other benefits . </P> <P> Medical cards were introduced by Part III of the Health Act 1953, passed by the then Fianna Fáil government after the failure of the previous inter-party government's somewhat more ambitious Mother and Child Scheme . It was described as a "white card replacing the red ticket", the latter being a proof of pauperism required under the Irish poor laws for access to the public dispensary . The medical card scheme was administered by county councils until the newly created Health Boards took over in 1970; these in turn were replaced by the HSE in 2005 . </P> <P> Until the Irish financial crisis of 2008, persons aged over 70 were automatically entitled to free medical cards . One of the austerity measures of the budget of October 2008 was the abrogation of this entitlement . After several protests, the benefit was reinstated to all who earn under € 700 per week, more than three times the limit for younger people . </P>

When was the medical card introduced in ireland