General Medical Services Scheme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2005

Thursday, 2 June 2005

Questions (130)

Richard Bruton

Question:

120 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the breakdown of the capitation rates paid to general practitioners based on the age, gender and distance from the surgery of the patients on their GMS panels in each of the years 1997 to 2005; the way in which this payment is calculated if it bears no relation to the number of consultations. [18894/05]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

On the basis of the figures contained in the annual reports of the GMS payments board, now the HSE primary care reimbursement service, the capitation rates paid to general practitioners are shown in the following tables. The latest date to which figures are available is December 2004. It should be noted that adjustments to capitation rates under national wage agreements have not been applied since 1 January 2004.

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 1997.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
up to 4	35.69	34.83	37.60	36.74	40.41	39.55	43.17	42.32	46.61	45.76
5-15	20.73	20.98	21.53	21.75	22.68	22.92	23.80	24.03	25.22	25.43
16-44	26.48	43.26	27.50	44.29	29.00	45.79	30.47	47.26	32.31	49.10
45-64	52.83	58.05	55.30	60.52	58.91	64.12	62.46	67.71	66.90	72.11
65 and over	55.66	62.12	62.47	68.92	72.59	79.03	82.53	88.96	94.85	101.29

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 1998

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
up to 4	38.94	37.98	41.00	40.06	44.06	43.13	47.08	46.16	50.83	49.89
5-15	22.60	22.86	23.46	23.71	24.72	25.00	25.94	26.21	27.48	27.71
16-44	28.85	47.17	29.96	48.29	31.61	49.92	33.22	51.27	35.20	53.52
45-64	57.62	63.31	60.29	65.98	64.23	69.91	68.11	73.81	72.95	78.62
65 and over	60.70	67.71	68.12	75.14	79.14	86.16	89.96	96.99	103.42	110.45

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 1999.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
up to 4	39.52	38.55	41.62	40.66	44.72	43.78	47.79	46.85	51.59	50.64
5-15	22.94	23.20	23.81	24.07	25.09	25.38	26.33	26.60	27.89	28.13
16-44	29.28	47.88	30.41	49.01	32.08	50.67	33.72	52.04	35.73	54.32
45-64	58.48	64.26	61.19	66.97	65.19	70.96	69.13	74.92	74.04	79.80
65-69	61.61	68.73	69.14	76.27	80.33	87.45	91.31	98.44	104.97	112.11
70 and over	63.61	70.95	71.37	78.73	82.93	90.28	94.27	101.63	108.37	115.74

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 2000.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
up to 4	44.18	43.14	46.41	45.39	49.71	48.71	52.98	51.98	57.04	56.02
5-15	26.50	26.78	27.43	27.71	28.79	29.10	30.11	30.41	31.78	32.03
16-44	33.26	53.08	34.46	54.28	36.24	56.05	37.99	57.51	40.13	59.94
45-64	64.37	70.53	67.26	73.42	71.52	77.67	75.72	81.89	80.95	87.09
65-69	67.71	75.30	75.73	83.33	87.65	95.24	99.35	106.95	113.91	121.52
70 and over	69.84	77.66	78.10	85.95	90.43	98.25	102.51	110.36	117.53	125.39

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 2001.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
up to 4	60.36	58.94	63.41	62.03	67.92	66.55	72.39	71.03	77.94	76.54
5-15	36.21	36.58	37.48	37.85	39.32	39.76	41.14	41.56	43.41	43.77
16-44	45.44	72.53	47.08	74.15	49.51	76.58	51.91	78.58	54.83	81.90
45-64	87.95	96.37	91.89	100.32	97.72	106.12	103.46	111.89	110.61	119.00
65-69	92.51	102.87	103.47	113.87	119.76	130.12	135.75	146.13	155.64	166.04
70 and over	95.43	106.11	106.71	117.44	123.56	134.24	140.06	150.79	160.58	171.33

From 1 July 2001, the capitation rate was €462.16 per annum for persons aged 70 years and over in the community issued with a medical card for the first time regardless of income. A capitation rate of €669.79 per annum applied from that date to anyone aged 70 years and over in a private nursing home, approved by a health board, for any continuous period of five weeks.

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 2002.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
up to 4	62.78	61.31	65.95	64.51	70.63	69.21	75.29	73.88	81.07	79.61
5-15	37.65	38.05	38.99	39.38	40.90	41.36	42.79	43.22	45.16	45.53
16-44	47.25	75.43	48.97	77.13	51.49	79.65	53.99	81.73	57.02	85.19
45-64	91.48	100.23	95.57	104.33	101.64	110.37	107.61	116.37	115.04	123.76
65-69	96.22	107.00	107.62	118.42	124.56	135.34	141.19	151.98	161.87	172.69
70 and over	99.25	110.36	110.98	122.15	128.50	139.61	145.69	156.83	167.02	178.19

The capitation rate was €480.64 per annum for persons aged 70 years and over in the community issued with a medical card for the first time regardless of income. A capitation rate of €696.58 per annum applied to anyone aged 70 years and over in a private nursing home, approved by a health board, for any continuous period of five weeks.

Capitation Fees as at 31st December 2003.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
Up to 4	62.78	61.31	65.95	64.51	70.63	69.21	75.29	73.88	81.07	79.61
5-15	37.65	38.05	38.99	39.38	40.90	41.36	42.79	43.22	45.16	45.53
16-44	47.25	75.43	48.97	77.13	51.49	79.65	53.99	81.73	57.02	85.19
45-64	91.48	100.23	95.57	104.33	101.64	110.37	107.61	116.37	115.04	123.76
65-69	96.22	107.00	107.62	118.42	124.56	135.34	141.19	151.98	161.87	172.69
70 and over	99.25	110.36	110.98	122.15	128.50	139.61	145.69	156.83	167.02	178.19

The capitation rate was €480.64 per annum for persons aged 70 years and over in the community issued with a medical card for the first time regardless of income. A capitation rate of €696.58 per annum applied to anyone aged 70 years and over in a private nursing home, approved by a health board, for any continuous period of five weeks.

Current capitation fees.

Age	Up to 3 Miles	3-5 Miles	5-7 Miles	7-10 Miles	Over 10 Miles
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
Up to 4	61.65	60.13	64.91	63.43	69.74	68.27	74.53	73.08	80.48	78.98
5-15	35.77	36.17	37.14	37.55	39.11	39.58	41.06	41.50	43.50	43.88
16-44	45.65	74.67	47.42	76.43	50.01	79.02	52.60	81.16	55.71	84.72
45-64	91.20	100.22	95.42	104.44	101.67	110.67	107.82	116.85	115.48	124.45
65-69	96.09	107.20	107.83	118.96	125.28	136.39	142.41	153.52	163.71	174.85
70 and over	105.72	117.16	117.81	129.30	135.85	147.29	153.54	165.02	175.52	187.03

The capitation rate was €495.07 per annum for persons aged 70 years and over in the community issued with a medical card for the first time regardless of income. A capitation rate of €717.48 applied to anyone aged 70 years and over in a private nursing home, approved by a health board, for any continuous period of five weeks.

The capitation rates paid to general practitioners reflect the agreed outcome of industrial negotiations between the Department of Health and Children and the representative organisation of the doctors involved, the Irish Medical Organisation. This annual capitation rate is payable to the general practitioner regardless of the number of consultations involved. These rates normally attract national wage agreement adjustments and are dependant on the age, gender and location of the patient.