Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2023
662. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will address the issue of general practitioners charging patients with medical cards for individual blood tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4173/23]
View answer730. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if a person in receipt of a full medical card should be charged by their GP for a standard blood test; if there is a limit on the amount that a GP can charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4666/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 662 and 730 together.
Under 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.
The issue has been raised previously with the relevant GP representative body. However, it did not prove possible to achieve agreement that no charges for blood tests would be applied in any circumstances. It is intended to raise this issue again at an appropriate time.
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.
Fees charged by GPs outside the terms of the GMS contracts are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and their patients. The HSE does not have any role in relation to such fees.
