The Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has announced measures to make it easier for people on higher incomes to qualify for the GP visit card.
A new income guideline of 50% means that a couple with two children earning about €1,200 a week, or just over €63,000 a year, will now qualify for a card.
Ms Harney said approximately 18,000 people have GP visit cards.
She said the Government had allocated funding this year for 200,000 cards.
