Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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295. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to enable over 70s whose general practitioners are non-public sector to avail of free medical card and GP cover. [46740/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The provision of GP services without fees to persons aged 70 and over will be facilitated under the existing General Medical Services contract after the relevant legislation has been passed by the Oireachtas.

As with the existing medical card and GP visit card contracts, it will be open to GPs to choose to participate or not in the over 70s scheme when the legislation has been passed. If a GP does not hold a contract for the provision of services to persons over 70 years, the patient may obtain a list of contract holders from their local HSE office. If the patient has three unsuccessful attempts to secure a GMS doctor who will register them on his/her panel, the patient should contact the HSE, providing details of the doctors they have contacted, and the HSE will assign them to a GMS doctor within the locality.