Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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426. To ask the Minister for Health the amount paid per medical card holder per patient over 70 to general practitioners; the amount paid per medical card holder under 70 per patient to GPs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44235/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The HSE, through the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS), makes payments to General Practitioners (GPs) for services they provide to eligible persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card. GPs are remunerated in respect of these patients principally on the basis of fees and allowances, which are set out in the Health Professionals (Reduction of Payments to General Practitioners) Regulations 2013 (SI 277/2013 refers).

Included among fees paid to GPs are a range of capitation fees, which vary depending on the age and gender of the patient. In addition, there are special capitation rates for persons over 70 years residing at home and for persons over 70 years residing in private nursing homes.

A number of additional payments are made to GPs by the HSE on a fee-per-item basis, e.g. for special items of services (including suturing of cuts and lacerations, recognised vein treatment, etc.), out-of-hours consultations and consultations by temporary residents. The age of the patient is not a determining factor in calculating these payments.

Practice support allowances and payments in respect of locum expenses are paid to the GP based on the number of GMS patients on his/her panel, for which each GMS patient over 70 years counts as two patients.

Fees payable to GPs under the National Immunisation Programmes are set out in the Health Professionals (Reduction of Payments to General Practitioners) (National Immunisation Programmes) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 278/2013 refers).