Reilly: Free GP care the ‘absolute intention'

Free GP care for all by 2016 is the “absolute intention” of the Government, Health Minister James Reilly said as he defended the removal of the medical card for 40,000 people.

He made the comments as he came under increased pressure from the European Commission in a progress report criticising efforts to curb overspending in his department.

The draft report follows the troika’s latest review mission to Ireland and singles out health which overspent by almost €400m last year.

The document notes that commitments made by the Government to address the overrun in the health were “only partly implemented”.

It says: “Health measures were specified to address the health overruns, although their implementation and effectiveness was not as anticipated.”

The troika recommends new criteria for doctors to prescribe medicines by active ingredient, rather than by brand, to cut the cost to the exchequer of paying for branded drugs.

According to reports on thejournal.ie and on RTÉ, based on leaks of the report, the troika is also urging the health service to promote greater use of generic drugs. It says the drugs bill is 34% more per capita terms than the EU average.

The report says the “high remuneration” pay for doctors “may warrant attention” and suggests the Government could “review the fees and salaries paid to medical professionals”.

Cuts of €721m are being made to the health service budget this year. Some of this will come from changing the way income is assessed for eligibility for medical cards which will affect 40,000 people.

Dr Reilly said: “They are not going to lose their medical card. There’s 20,000 people over the age of 70 who will see their medical card now become a GP visit card. That’s people who earn over €600 per week.”

He said he is “working very hard” on the promise for free GP care for all and it is the “absolute intention” to have it in place in the lifetime of this Government. “It will be one of our major priorities.”

Legislation for the first phase of this — free GP care for the long-term ill — will come before the Oireachtas in the first quarter of this year. “We want to extend free GP care, it’s a core part of what [the] Programme for Government says and we want to honour it,” he said.

On RTÉ’s Drivetime, he said draft legislation on abortion will be ready by the end of this month.