Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
873. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the current average cost of a GP visit card; the current average cost of a GP visit card for under six years of age; the current average cost of a GP visit card for over 70 years of age; the current average cost of a GP visit element of medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13433/17]
View answerThe PCRS Financial Management Reports are configured on the basis of age groups. The average cost of a Medical Card and GP Visit Card for the under 6's is included in the 0 - 4 years and 5 - 15 years categories.
The data below represents the relevant indicative annualised costs for the period 2016.
Indicative Annual Cost per card
|
Age Group |
GP Visit Card |
GP Visit Card – GP Cost |
Medical Card |
Medical Card – GP Cost |
|
0 – 4 Yrs |
€235 |
€231 |
€366 |
€85 |
|
5 – 15 Yrs |
€161 |
€159 |
€218 |
€51 |
|
Aged 70 and over |
€485 |
€477 |
€2,128 |
€494 |
As the cost of GP Visit Cards and Medical Cards varies significantly with the age of the cardholder, a ‘blanket’ average cost of either card does not provide a true cost representation.
