Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 September 2022
526. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the circumstances under which medical card patients are exempt from charges for phlebotomy services; if he finds it acceptable that medical card patients are being charged a €15 courier fee to deliver bloods to a centralised location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47018/22]
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 including GP consultations.
The issue of GPs charging GMS patients for phlebotomy services (blood tests) is complex given the numerous reasons and circumstances under which blood tests are taken. Clinical determinations as to whether a blood test should taken to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition are made by the GP concerned. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for such blood tests. In addition, blood tests undertaken in the context of services provided under the GP Chronic Disease Management programme are covered by the fees paid to GPs by the HSE for this care.
Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes he or she has been incorrectly charged for routine phlebotomy services by his or her GP, or has been charged for a blood test provided under the Chronic Disease Management programme, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office. The local management, upon being notified of potential inappropriate charging of GMS patients, carry out an investigation into each complaint and will, where appropriate, arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by the GP.
