asked the Minister for Health the total cost of the General Medical Services card scheme in 1987; the total number of medical card holders in each week in 1987; and the average cost per medical card per week to the Exchequer in 1987.
Written Answers. - General Medical Services Card Scheme.
232.
The total cost of the General Medical Services scheme to the General Medical Services (Payments) Board in 1987 was £122,630,482. In addition £3,217,850 was paid by health boards directly to doctors in 1987 under the scheme which gives a total cost of £125,848,332.
Statistics in relation to the total number of medical card holders are collected on a monthly basis by the General Medical Services (Payments) Board and the figures for 1987 are:
|
No. of Card Holders |
|
|
January |
728,554 |
|
February |
736,393 |
|
March |
737,413 |
|
April |
740,549 |
|
May |
742,269 |
|
June |
743,736 |
|
July |
746,807 |
|
August |
745,502 |
|
September |
742,208 |
|
October |
745,968 |
|
November |
746,114 |
|
December |
748,724 |
The average cost for the General Medical Services Scheme per medical card per week to the Exchequer in 1987 was £3.26p.