Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
916. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the estimate of the cost of introducing free general practitioner care for all persons was between €330 million and €365 million, excluding those younger than six and older than 70 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25527/18]
View answer917. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the estimated costs of introducing free general practitioner care to all persons based on the current scope, fee structure and payments to general practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25528/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 916 and 917 together.
GMS contractors receive a range of capitation rates, fee per service payments and practice supports. It is not possible to definitively calculate the cost of universal GP access given the wide range of payments and variables that have to be accounted for.
Such a calculation would require a complex and detailed modelling exercise to account for a range of demographic changes, future projections of service demands and variation in the number of GPs and the allowances that could be paid.
The Deputy will be aware that the Report of the Committee on the Future of Healthcare was published in May 2017 and recommended the phased introduction of universal GP care over the next five years through increased income thresholds.
The research carried out for that paper estimated the cost of this approach at €91 million per year for five years for a total additional annual cost of €455m. However, these figures have not been verified and given the time that has elapsed since this research was conducted could under-estimate the cost of this proposal.
As the Deputy is aware, an implementation plan is being developed in response to the Sláintecare report. This implementation plan will be comprehensive and it will set out a programme of health reform for the coming years, addressing this and other recommendations in the Sláintecare report. I expect to bring this implementation plan to Government in the coming weeks.
