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Going to another GP on the medical card

  • 12-03-2018 5:03pm
    #1
    gluppers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 516 ✭✭✭


    Hi. I'm asking on behalf of a friend. She is a medical card holder. She wasn't able to get an appointment with her regular GP (the GP linked to her medical card) today. She went to another GP and was charged €65. Is there anyway she can claim back the €65?


Comments

  • #2
    wifey28
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 327 ✭✭wifey28


    ASfar as i know there is no way ofclaiming it back, she chose to go to another doc.The only doc other than your own that is covered under the medical card is the like of southdoc etc, out of hours


  • #3
    splinter65
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,420 ✭✭✭splinter65


    gluppers wrote: »
    Hi. I'm asking on behalf of a friend. She is a medical card holder. She wasn't able to get an appointment with her regular GP (the GP linked to her medical card) today. She went to another GP and was charged €65. Is there anyway she can claim back the €65?

    When she tried to get an appointment did she tell them she urgently needed medical attention?


  • #4
    gluppers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 516 ✭✭✭gluppers


    splinter65 wrote: »
    When she tried to get an appointment did she tell them she urgently needed medical attention?

    No I'm afraid not


  • #5
    Selandia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 80 ✭✭Selandia


    She still shouldn’t have been charged at the practice she went to, as long as that doctor has a medical card list. If she had her card details with her, she should have been invited to sign a STC form as a temporary visitor to the practice, and they would then claim from the HSE for her visit.


  • #6
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Selandia wrote: »
    She still shouldn’t have been charged at the practice she went to, as long as that doctor has a medical card list. If she had her card details with her, she should have been invited to sign a STC form as a temporary visitor to the practice, and they would then claim from the HSE for her visit.

    Yes and she needs to go back to that practice and get the paperwork done.


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  • #7
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    Selandia wrote: »
    She still shouldn’t have been charged at the practice she went to, as long as that doctor has a medical card list. If she had her card details with her, she should have been invited to sign a STC form as a temporary visitor to the practice, and they would then claim from the HSE for her visit.

    This is not strictly true, a medical card does not entitle you to see all GPs participating in the scheme, it only entitles you to see the GP who you are registered with plus any GP who provides emergency cover for that GP, e.g. South doc.

    If you change Doctors, you have to apply to be accepted by the new GP, if their lists are full or you are just making an emergency appointment, then you may not be accepted on to the new GPs list and therefore will be charged a private fee.

    GPs get capitation payments for medical card patients on their lists, not payments per visit so the new GP the ops friend visited does not get paid specifically for that visit.


  • #8
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    davo10 wrote: »
    This is not strictly true, a medical card does not entitle you to see all GPs participating in the scheme, it only entitles you to see the GP who you are registered with plus any GP who provides emergency cover for that GP, e.g. South doc.

    If you change Doctors, you have to apply to be accepted by the new GP, if their lists are full or you are just making an emergency appointment, then you may not be accepted on to the new GPs list and therefore will be charged a private fee.

    GPs get capitation payments for medical card patients on their lists, not payments per visit so the new GP the ops friend visited does not get paid specifically for that visit.



    See what I have bolded.I have often as I was moving around a fair amount, had emergency treatment from a dr other than on my card and not eg in Southdoc. The emergency treatment forms cover this .

    One dr covered my care for three months in this way as I was not sure of my next move.


  • #9
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    Graces7 wrote: »
    See what I have bolded.I have often as I was moving around a fair amount, had emergency treatment from a dr other than on my card and not eg in Southdoc. The emergency treatment forms cover this .

    One dr covered my care for three months in this way as I was not sure of my next move.

    This only applies if the GP accepts your registration onto their list, if they don't, you are charged as a private patient.

    In today's Sunday Business Post, 64% of all GP practices have closed their lists and will not accept any new medical card registrations. If you are not registered at one of those practices and make an appointment, you will not be able to use your medical card.


  • #10
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    davo10 wrote: »
    This only applies if the GP accepts your registration onto their list, if they don't, you are charged as a private patient.

    In today's Sunday Business Post, 64% of all GP practices have closed their lists and will not accept any new medical card registrations. If you are not registered at one of those practices and make an appointment, you will not be able to use your medical card.

    Interesting as several times I have had emergency treatment from a GP I was not registered with with no problem and no payment asked, using my medical card. They had a special form for it . Maybe my age?


  • #11
    davo10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,926 ✭✭✭davo10


    Graces7 wrote: »
    Interesting as several times I have had emergency treatment from a GP I was not registered with with no problem and no payment asked, using my medical card. They had a special form for it . Maybe my age?

    GPs are closing lists because of effects of free treatment for under 6s. In our health clinic, GPS cannot cope with the additional attendance, so they are refusing to accept any new/temporary medical card patients. Now two thirds of clinics have closed their lists completely.


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