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Fully private GP's in Ireland ?

  • 18-12-2020 06:09PM
    #1
    Big Gerry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 955 ✭✭✭


    Are there fully private GP's in Ireland or are all GP's on the medical card scheme ?


Comments

  • #2
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,820 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    Plenty of fully privates around.


  • #3
    Big Gerry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 955 ✭✭✭Big Gerry


    Vorsprung wrote: »
    Plenty of fully privates around.


    Interesting I've seen GP's privately in different areas and never met one that wasn't on the medical card scheme.


    Is there a reason why GP's would turn down being on the medical card scheme ? given that its a guaranteed income from the government.


  • #4
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,019 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Big Gerry wrote: »
    Are there fully private GP's in Ireland or are all GP's on the medical card scheme ?

    At one stage, a new practice had to be open for a few 2? 4? years before they could take medical cards.


  • #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 9,954 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Big Gerry wrote: »
    Synology DS211
    Is there a reason why GP's would turn down being on the medical card scheme ? given that its a guaranteed income from the government.

    They are knocked off it once they reach retirement age.


  • #6
    Big Gerry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 955 ✭✭✭Big Gerry


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    At one stage, a new practice had to be open for a few 2? 4? years before they could take medical cards.


    Any idea how much a GP gets paid from each medical card patient ?


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  • #7
    Malmedicine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 501 ✭✭✭Malmedicine


    Big Gerry wrote: »
    Any idea how much a GP gets paid from each medical card patient ?

    Depends on age of patient. From €50 to €500 ish euro per year. Not per visit per year. 24/7 care 365 days a year "ish".


  • #8
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,242 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Big Gerry wrote: »
    Any idea how much a GP gets paid from each medical card patient ?

    €98 per annum for the lowest-rate, male aged 6yrs - 15yrs inclusive, up to €580 for a patient 70 yrs or older in a private nursing home. This figure includes an annual "on the books" charge of €45 as well as the normal capitation.

    These figures are almost out of date as the capitation rates are to increase by about 10% next month.

    The income isn't great, and I suspect one of the main advantages, especially for practices with doctors of child-rearing ages, are the relatively attractive payments for paternity and maternity benefit, of up to approximately €5,500 and €72,000 respectively. Of course, the practice still has to pay a locum from these resources, which dilutes the value of the payment to the practice.

    Given this, I can well see why a busy practice without any maternity costs might prefer not to take on GMS patients. It must be far more profitable to see private patients only, although this is probably only a feasible option for busy city-centre and some suburban-city practices.


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