Budget 2013: Free GP visits for under 5's

ezra_pound

Moonbeam wrote: »

Found info about it..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_and_Child_Scheme
reading why it did not happen is crazy.

Good old Ireland.

Big Bag of Chips

ezra_pound wrote: »

Worth remembering however that almost 50% of under sixes already have free gp...

How?

ezra_pound

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

How?

47% of under sixes.

Gp visiting card and med card is obviously more easily available for families with children than singles and families without children. also many young families have large mortgages andchildcare costs.

Big Bag of Chips

I'm very surprised that the number is that high, though.

And why up to Under 6s.. would it not be up to 18, or whenever kids come off their parents' card?

ezra_pound

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

I'm very surprised that the number is that high, though.

And why up to Under 6s.. would it not be up to 18, or whenever kids come off their parents' card?

We're talking about under sixes. The proposed measure is for under sixes.

Up to now all dependent children are counted the same in order to qualify for med card.

I'm just quoting the relevant figure -the percentage of under six year olds. It's in the independent.

With an average income paying an average mortgage and average childcare travel etc. The average parent with the average number of sprigs is entitled to free gp care.


I'm entitled to gp card but haven't bothered because it's barely worth the hassle.

Anyway here's the 47% figure:

http://www.independent.ie/business/budget/budget-throws-a-lifeline-to-hardpressed-families-29657239.html

Big Bag of Chips

I don't understand the figures.. or maybe I'm up too late.. :pac:

"At the moment, 180,000 children under five, 47pc, are covered by full medical cards or doctor-only medical cards.
The new measure will see another 240,000 children under five, 53pc, have their doctors bills covered."

53% of what? All children under 5? Why is it not 100% of children under 5?

I think claiming 47% of children under 5 have a Medical Card or GP only card is a bit askew. That means approx 1 in every 2 children?

Edit: If 180,000 equals 47% of under 5s.. then "another 240,000" can't only add up to 53%. Do you know what I mean?!

Ok - it's time for bed, I think. Those figures might make more sense to me in the morning!!!

ezra_pound

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

I don't understand the figures.. or maybe I'm up too late.. :pac:

"At the moment, 180,000 children under five, 47pc, are covered by full medical cards or doctor-only medical cards.
The new measure will see another 240,000 children under five, 53pc, have their doctors bills covered."

53% of what? All children under 5? Why is it not 100% of children under 5?

I think claiming 47% of children under 5 have a Medical Card or GP only card is a bit askew. That means approx 1 in every 2 children?

Edit: If 180,000 equals 47% of under 5s.. then "another 240,000" can't only add up to 53%. Do you know what I mean?!

Ok - it's time for bed, I think. Those figures might make more sense to me in the morning!!!

53 + 47 = 100

47 = now
100= next year
53= difference

People with children mortgage and childcare need to be on pretty good money not to qualify for gp card.

Big Bag of Chips

Ahhhhh!! Right!!! Definitely time for bed :P

We don't qualify for anything. 1 average income in the house, but no mortgage, so that could be it?

ezra_pound

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Ahhhhh!! Right!!! Definitely time for bed :P

We don't qualify for anything. 1 average income in the house, but no mortgage, so that could be it?

No Rent?

Have you applied? If you have kid(s) and live with partner if be surprised if you don't qualify for gp card.

FunkSoulSista

This is brilliant news for sure but my worry now is this just a sweetener before the budget announcement...

monkeysnapper

Twice this year my little girl in crèche had heat rash and they rang me to collect her , I needed to get a doctors note to say this rash couldn't spread , were on the breadline as it is , 40 quid each time it cost us plus having to take afternoon off work. I wonder sometimes is it worth working at all.

But at least the free gp for under 5 will help in future .

Orion

ezra_pound wrote: »

I'm just quoting the relevant figure -the percentage of under six year olds. It's in the independent.

It's in the independent - it must be true

Personally, if the Indo said it was raining I'd go outside to check.

NIMAN

As someone who has paid €40 maybe 6 or 7 times to take Under5s to the GP, I welcome this move, but remember folks there is no such thing as 'free', we will all pay for this one way or another.

Big Bag of Chips

ezra_pound wrote: »

No Rent?

Have you applied? If you have kid(s) and live with partner if be surprised if you don't qualify for gp card.

No, we own our house. We have no childcare because I stay at home. We're not on the breadline by any means, but me & husband are both asthmatic as is one of the kids.

While we're not struggling as bad as some, €50 (more if a couple of us have to go) is still a fair chunk to have to see a GP for 5 mins.

I'm one of those "wait and see if they get worse/better" mammies!......

And I'll still be one, because my youngest, the one with asthma, turned 5 in August.

ash23

Truthfully I'm not sure if I agree with this move. When you see the state of some hospitals, the lack of resources for profoundly disabled children and the cuts to charities who are supporting the families of terminally ill children, I'm not sure that a blanket free for all is right.
Those who can well afford a GP visit for their kids will not have to pay.

This is just something that will be rolled out to fulfill an election promise but I'll reserve judgement on it until I see the cuts that are being made for carers and the disabled etc.

I'll be disappointed if this is brought in while services and support for those who are most vunerable are cut.

How Strange

I totally agree with you ash23.

I'm not a fan of universality as I think it takes the services away from those who need it most.

My nephew lost his teaching support in school a couple of years back. Honestly, while we're by no means financially loaded, I'd rather that we have to pay for our gp if others who need support services most get them.

bigalee

THe down side of this is that people are forgetting that the way they are paying for this is that they have now clawed money off the mother for what is often the most expensive and indeed difficult stage of a young childs life ie the first 6 months.. namely the time the maternity benefit is paid for.. they taxed it last year which costs most families 2457 euros in extra taxes and now they have reduced it by 30 euros.. which is an additional 780 per child born... 2457 & 780 is 3237 euros :mad: 3237 per child thats 64 visits to a gp in the first 5 years of life each child would need to make to make up for what the government took off each family per child born..

sounds to me like the government will still make a tidy profit on each and every little baby born

pwurple

bigalee wrote: »

sounds to me like the government will still make a tidy profit on each and every little baby born

Especially now that maternity benefit is being reduced as well in this budget.

bigalee

GTREAT spin today re the free gp visits for the under 5's. at first glance this seems like a real giveaway to parents......The down side of this is that people are forgetting that the way they are paying for this is that they have now clawed money off the mother for what is often the most expensive and indeed difficult stage of a young childs life ie the first 6 months.. namely the time the maternity benefit is paid for.. they taxed it last year which costs most families 2457 euros in extra taxes and now they have reduced it by 30 euros.. which is an additional 780 per child born... "2457 & 780 is 3237 euros" 3237 PER CHILD thats 64 visits to a gp in the first 5 years of life each child would need to make to make up for what the government took off each family per child born..

sounds to me like the government will still make a tidy profit on each and every little baby born

flutered

all this is smoke and mirrors, bottlers baby is in the need of a serious transfusion of cash, where they will find it is another matter, probably the disabled and the carers as they are the usual fall guys.

Outkast_IRE

At the moment its a case of robbing peter to pay paul .

If the government are giving you something they are taking more away another way.

However the books do need to be balanced, and i would always implore people to remember what party was in power and got us into this mess.

Fine Gael are doing as good a job as any party could given the situation they inherited.

bigalee

I think the government must think all mothers get "baby Brain" for an awful long time!! they really are banking on the fact we will be grateful to have our maternity leave taxed and then reduced by a total sum of over 3000 per child on each maternity leave, just to get to bring our kids to the gp a few times until they are 5.. as per calculation in my previous post that means we would have to bring each child 60 times each before 5 @50 euro per visit to make up for the 3000 they took off us in the first 6 months of the baby's life.... again.. treating us like fools who'l jump up and down happily with a few free trips to the doctors... all while they also rob our parents, disabled relatives etc of their medical cards....... then again maybe we are fools we take it and take it and never protest.. im guilty of that too

vitani

bigalee wrote: »

GTREAT spin today re the free gp visits for the under 5's. at first glance this seems like a real giveaway to parents......The down side of this is that people are forgetting that the way they are paying for this is that they have now clawed money off the mother for what is often the most expensive and indeed difficult stage of a young childs life ie the first 6 months.. namely the time the maternity benefit is paid for.. they taxed it last year which costs most families 2457 euros in extra taxes and now they have reduced it by 30 euros.. which is an additional 780 per child born... "2457 & 780 is 3237 euros" 3237 PER CHILD thats 64 visits to a gp in the first 5 years of life each child would need to make to make up for what the government took off each family per child born..

sounds to me like the government will still make a tidy profit on each and every little baby born

Out of curiosity, where did you get that figure from?

pwurple

vitani wrote: »

Out of curiosity, where did you get that figure from?

The figures are in the post. The new tax from last year, plus the drop in mat benefit. Divided by 50 quid a visit I'd say?

bigalee

Hi Vitani...
the figure of 2457 actually applies to what i will lose in my own situation as im currrently on maternity leave and being taxed on same.... however the more widely quoted figure as per citizens info service, and all newspapers who done analysis of the effects of this taxation is actually higher at 2700 euros.. so perhaps im 'lucky' to have found myself saving 243 euros... :-0 the figure of 30 euros is actlly rounded too.. ie the payment for people who had sufficient prsi paid (the majority of workers) was until now 262 euro.. today that was reduced/standarised to 230... these too figues combined per child born amount to a minimum of the figure i quoted above ie a MINIMUM of 3237 euros.. still we got a few gp visits for it....

bigalee

Just to say also that for my sins i actually was one of the people who helped vote in the current government.. im not a fine gael/ labour basher.. i just wanted someone who would actually work for the everyday people on the ground..

im sorely disappointed.. wont be doing that again

Outkast_IRE

bigalee wrote: »

Just to say also that for my sins i actually was one of the people who helped vote in the current government.. im not a fine gael/ labour basher.. i just wanted someone who would actually work for the everyday people on the ground..

im sorely disappointed.. wont be doing that again

I voted FG too.
Everyone is going to be hurt with the cuts needed, there are no untouchables. They are doing a good job with the terrible situation they inherited.

Don't be listening to the sinn fein spin etc, god help us if they came into power, they are beyond clueless in economics.

The alternative to cuts, is more borrowing, and just kicking the can down the road forever. Much like the US, I honestly cant see their way out of their debt burden now.

vitani

bigalee wrote: »

Hi Vitani...
the figure of 2457 actually applies to what i will lose in my own situation as im currrently on maternity leave and being taxed on same.... however the more widely quoted figure as per citizens info service, and all newspapers who done analysis of the effects of this taxation is actually higher at 2700 euros.. so perhaps im 'lucky' to have found myself saving 243 euros... :-0 the figure of 30 euros is actlly rounded too.. ie the payment for people who had sufficient prsi paid (the majority of workers) was until now 262 euro.. today that was reduced/standarised to 230... these too figues combined per child born amount to a minimum of the figure i quoted above ie a MINIMUM of 3237 euros.. still we got a few gp visits for it....

Thanks. My job didn't pay maternity pay when I was pregnant so not sure how it works - is it that you're paying the same income tax you'd be if you were working for those six months?

In my situation, I'd actually have been better off because I only qualified for the lowest amount of maternity benefit. But I suppose I can see how it would be annoying if you'd planned a baby based on knowing you'd be receiving a certain amount every week.

Moonbeam

*Mod Note*
I have merged the threads.
Please remember that you are posting to the parenting forum and we understand that people maybe angry but please keep posts on topic and civil.

Thanks

ezra_pound

bigalee wrote: »

Just to say also that for my sins i actually was one of the people who helped vote in the current government.. im not a fine gael/ labour basher.. i just wanted someone who would actually work for the everyday people on the ground..

im sorely disappointed.. wont be doing that again

Why? What did they do wrong? This country is actually coming back from the brink thanks to them.