Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1407. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing free GP care to all children under 18 years on the basis of the fees provided for the expansion of the current scheme to six- and seven-year-olds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37094/23]
View answerAt present all children under 6 years of age are eligible for a GP visit card. This is to be extended to all children under 8 years of age from the 11th of August as per the recently agreed GP Agreement 2023. The Agreement provides, amongst other things, for a new capitation rate for participating GPs in respect of children aged 6 and 7.
Based on 2022 average GP visit card costs, adjusted as per the new capitation rate for children aged 6 and 7, and the number of persons aged 8 to 17 years (existing GMS card holders and estimated non-holders), the additional cost of providing GP care without charges to all children under 18 years of age (i.e. the cost of providing GP care without charges to all children aged 8 to 17 inclusive) is simplistically estimated to be €96 million.
It should be noted that the new capitation rate in respect of children aged 6 and 7 is less than the current rate for female patients aged 16 years or more and less than 45 years. In addition, the estimation does not account for any increased cost that may arise in respect of existing practice supports under the GMS scheme due to the resultant increases in GPs' GMS panel size. Furthermore, no new additional practice and service supports, such as those provided under the GP Agreement 2023, are considered in the above calculation.
Consultations with the IMO, representing GPs, would need to be held prior to any further expansion of GP visit card eligibility and would include discussions on the scope of services to be provided, the resourcing required to provide those services, and the rate of fees and other supports payable to GPs for providing services.
As it is not possible to predict the services to be provided as agreed as a result of such discussions and the fees for same, the actual cost of extending GP care without fees to any further cohorts cannot be accurately extrapolated from the current figures.
