Written answers

Tuesday, 23 November 2004

Department of Health and Children

Medical Cards

10:00 pm

Photo of Beverley FlynnBeverley Flynn (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 212: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if general practitioners were paid a retainer per medical card for customers who were deceased but remained on the health board list for many years. [30242/04]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In 2001, following the decision to provide medical cards to all people aged 70 years and over, potential inaccuracies in general medical service scheme lists came to light. Health boards were requested to undertake reviews of their GMS registers. A group was established under the auspices of the Health Boards Executive to oversee these reviews. Following the reviews and as of July 2004, approximately 104,000 records have been removed from the GMS register. Health boards have advised that they consider most of these to be normal deletions due to death, change in eligibility status or persons moving from one board area to another.

The Health Boards Executive-led group identified an amount of overpayment of capitation fees arising from the removal of these entries of approximately €8.4 million. My Department is fully committed to recouping the overpayments identified in line with the commitment given to the Committee of Public Accounts.

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