Claiming GP fees back?

SwordofLight

If I work for the state health service, I'm presuming I'm covered by medical insurance.
If I miss work due to illness and visit a GP, can I ask my employer to re-imburse me?

If I visit a GP because of a work requirement can I ask my employer to re-imburse me?

Is there a difference?

L1011

Presumtion of private health insurance when working for the state - absolutely not. You pay for PHI yourself. PHI generally covers only part of a GP visit at that, if anything.

Miss work due to illness and reclaim GP cost from employer - absolutely not

Employer requiring visit - explain what you mean by this? Requiring a sick cert for sick leave is not requiring a visit, as such for instance - it is assumed that you will have got a medical explanation for why you're on sick leave



You can still claim tax back at the 20% rate on GP visits, as this is the taxation forum.

Fann Linn

I do it all the time. The op should download the Revenue receipt tracker app and complete the entries everytime he leaves the doc.

SwordofLight

L1011 wrote: »

Presumtion of private health insurance when working for the state - absolutely not. You pay for PHI yourself. PHI generally covers only part of a GP visit at that, if anything.

Miss work due to illness and reclaim GP cost from employer - absolutely not

Employer requiring visit - explain what you mean by this? Requiring a sick cert for sick leave is not requiring a visit, as such for instance - it is assumed that you will have got a medical explanation for why you're on sick leave



You can still claim tax back at the 20% rate on GP visits, as this is the taxation forum.

Thanks for the reply!

Wondering why there is a difference between what Fann Linn has said and your response?

To answer your question work tried to force me into a frontline position 6 months ago, and because I have a number of chronic health issues, I chose to provide them with a letter to do something else. So I was forced to spend out for a letter, privately, full fee.

Geuze

The public service as an employer does not pay for health insurance for its staff.

If you are off sick, your public service employer will not pay your GP bills.


These two facts are well known.





All workers can apply for tax relief on all valid medical expenses.

SwordofLight

But it is our employer who needs a cert from a GP to pay us for leave due to sickness. Sometimes the way the illness works is that by the time we are over it, we don't need the GP, but need rest, staying at home. Work need a cert, usually if the illness is more than 2 days. I suppose the question is who is the one requiring the cert, the ill party (to evidence illness and get paid) or their employer.

Dial Hard

SwordofLight wrote: »

But it is our employer who needs a cert from a GP to pay us for leave due to sickness. Sometimes the way the illness works is that by the time we are over it, we don't need the GP, but need rest, staying at home. Work need a cert, usually if the illness is more than 2 days. I suppose the question is who is the one requiring the cert, the ill party (to evidence illness and get paid) or their employer.

It doesn't matter. No employer in Ireland, public or private, is going to pay for a standard GP visit. The only time an employer would pay for a doctor's visit would be for a medical required for them, and they'll send you to the company doctor, not your GP.

What Fann Linn was referring to was the fact that you can claim the tax back on GP visits from Revenue at the end of the year. He wasn't saying his employer pays for the visits in full.

SwordofLight

Dial Hard wrote: »

It doesn't matter. No employer in Ireland, public or private, is going to pay for a standard GP visit. The only time an employer would pay for a doctor's visit would be for a medical required for them, and they'll send you to the company doctor, not your GP.

What Fann Linn was referring to was the fact that you can claim the tax back on GP visits from Revenue at the end of the year. He wasn't saying his employer pays for the visits in full.

Ohh!! I forgot about tax paid on the GP fee. Didn't know could claim that? Doesn't seem to be a section in myAccount PAYE.

Stratvs

SwordofLight wrote: »

Ohh!! I forgot about tax paid on the GP fee. Didn't know could claim that? Doesn't seem to be a section in myAccount PAYE.

It's in the eForm 12 under Unreimbursed Medical Expenses

relax carry on

SwordofLight wrote: »

Ohh!! I forgot about tax paid on the GP fee. Didn't know could claim that? Doesn't seem to be a section in myAccount PAYE.

I think you are still confusing yourself. Its not tax paid on health expenses. Its tax relief on allowable unreimbursed health expenses. So in order to obtain a refund, you need to have some tax to refund. For example you have 1000 gross expenses in the year and all are allowable and you've not been reimbursed for any of them then you can claim relief on the full 1000. Relief is granted at 20% which will be €200 refunded assuming you paid €200 in PAYE for the tax year your expenses relate to. If you had only paid €100 in PAYE for example, that's all you could be refunded.

L1011

SwordofLight wrote: »

Wondering why there is a difference between what Fann Linn has said and your response?

They are referring solely and specifically to the tax refund available.


As for your specific circumstances, which are not taxation related - that isn't your employer sending you to the doctor, so they wouldn't be required to pay.

FionnK86

relax carry on wrote: »

I think you are still confusing yourself. Its not tax paid on health expenses. Its tax relief on allowable unreimbursed health expenses. So in order to obtain a refund, you need to have some tax to refund. For example you have 1000 gross expenses in the year and all are allowable and you've not been reimbursed for any of them then you can claim relief on the full 1000. Relief is granted at 20% which will be €200 refunded assuming you paid €200 in PAYE for the tax year your expenses relate to. If you had only paid €100 in PAYE for example, that's all you could be refunded.

I paid 55 this week for GP, laya from work (private) paid €15. Am I entitled to claim anything back in credits and if so, should I claim 40 or 55 for the 20%?

Rulmeq

FionnK86 wrote: »

I paid 55 this week for GP, laya from work (private) paid €15. Am I entitled to claim anything back in credits and if so, should I claim 40 or 55 for the 20%?

You get to claim 20% of the remainder that isn't covered by anyone else, so 20% of €40.

FionnK86

Rulmeq wrote: »

You get to claim 20% of the remainder that isn't covered by anyone else, so 20% of €40.

That's handy enough so.

Rulmeq

FionnK86 wrote: »

That's handy enough so.

Keep all the receipts in a folder, everything you pay for yourself, so prescriptions, GP visits, flu shots, everything.
I've never been asked for my receipts, but you wouldn't want to get caught short.

FionnK86

Rulmeq wrote: »

Keep all the receipts in a folder, everything you pay for yourself, so prescriptions, GP visits, flu shots, everything.
I've never been asked for my receipts, but you wouldn't want to get caught short.

Can you even claim prescriptions?

Stratvs

FionnK86 wrote: »

Can you even claim prescriptions?

See here

https://www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/health-and-age/health-expenses/what-are-qualifying-expenses.aspx

Drugs or medicines prescribed ...etc.

FionnK86

Stratvs wrote: »

See here

https://www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/health-and-age/health-expenses/what-are-qualifying-expenses.aspx

Drugs or medicines prescribed ...etc.

Raging, I threw away my prescription receipt from last week. Just have card transaction, I doubt they'll accept that.

Stratvs

FionnK86 wrote: »

Raging, I threw away my prescription receipt from last week. Just have card transaction, I doubt they'll accept that.

Your pharmacy can do a Med1 report for each year from their system showing the relevant items and that will usually suffice if audited.

KaneToad

FionnK86 wrote: »

Raging, I threw away my prescription receipt from last week. Just have card transaction, I doubt they'll accept that.

You don't need to submit the receipts. Only when requested by Revenue. I've never been requested. If you have a verifiable (and qualifying) medical expense I would claim on it and worry about supplying the verification at a later date. It is highly unlikely you will ever need to submit proof. However, submit false claims at your peril! Revenue are very good at catching tax cheats.

FionnK86

KaneToad wrote: »

You don't need to submit the receipts. Only when requested by Revenue. I've never been requested. If you have a verifiable (and qualifying) medical expense I would claim on it and worry about supplying the verification at a later date. It is highly unlikely you will ever need to submit proof. However, submit false claims at your peril! Revenue are very good at catching tax cheats.

I sent Pharmacy a FB message there, no email for them.

Ah yeah I wouldn't chance it for a false claim, the amount of time spent worrying about it could be spent picking extra shift in work.

relax carry on

Easy to use the receipts tracker to keep an eye on your totals and Revenue can access it if they ever have any questions.

https://www.revenue.ie/en/online-services/services/common/manage-your-receipts-with-receipts-tracker.aspx