Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2015
409. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of restoring distance coding, and of restoring the coding and increasing the allowance to €25,000, under the rural practice allowance. [45697/15]
View answerSince 2009, a number of reductions have been applied under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 (FEMPI) to the fees and allowances paid to health professionals, including GPs who provide services under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. Over this period, the annual Rural Practice Allowance (RPA) under the GMS capitation agreement was reduced from €20,712.29 to the current rate of €16,216.07.
Currently, 168 GPs are in receipt of the RPA. The full year cost of increasing the existing RPA to €25,000 for these GPs would amount to nearly €1.476 million.
The “distance code” was removed as a factor in calculating GP fees and allowances in 2010 under FEMPI. The capitation rate payable varied according to a patient's age, gender and distance of their residence from the GP's surgery. It was calculated at that time that this measure saved in excess of €5 million. To cost accurately a reinstatement of the previous "distance code" arrangement would require a detailed exercise by the HSE. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a cost estimate in respect of this element of the Deputy's question.
