Cabinet to discuss new fee for over-70s medical cards

The Cabinet is due to discuss a report from an independent expert today on the fee to be paid to GPs for treating people over 70 who retain their medical card after the recently announced Budget cuts.

When the over-70s medical card scheme was introduced seven years ago, the Irish Medical Organisation succeeded in negotiating a fee of €640 per patient treated under the initiative.

This compares to the fee of just €160 for treating ordinary medical card patients.

Last week, the Government appointed the former Department of Finance secretary general Eddie O'Sullivan to recommend a new rate for GPs in relation to the over-70s.

He was asked to take submissions from the IMO, the HSE and other interested parties before coming up with a proposed new fee.

There is speculation that the new capitation rate could be in the region of €320.