Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
1008. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if it is correct that a general practitioner continues to charge a person who is in possession of a medical card for an appointment fee of €50.00 per visit. [37879/22]
View answerUnder the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services.
However, Section 11 of the GMS contract stipulates that fees in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences" are not covered by the contract. Any fees charged by GPs for services provided outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the GP and their patient.
Medical card and GP visit card holders should not be charged a consultation fee by their GMS GP. If a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for services by his or her GMS GP, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office.
