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REGISTRATION FOR FREE GP care for the over-70s will begin today.
It has been announced by the Department of Health that registration can now be completed on their website, with the service being available from 5 August.
This follows on from the programme of free GP care for the under-6s which came into effect at the start of this month.
The new measures will apply to those aged 70 or over who do not currently hold a medical or GP visit card. The government is estimating that this currently amounts to around 40,000 individuals.
There are around 400,000 over-70s in Ireland.
Speaking about the commencement, Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said, “It’s an important step because, for the first time, the eldest and youngest in our society will be able to access GP care without being charged.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland earlier he said the scheme is likely to cost between €18 million and €20 million in a full year.
The launch has been welcomed by Age Action Ireland with spokesperson Gerard Scully describing it as “an important step” in the move towards the restoration of universal healthcare entitlement for those over 70.
Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch, said, “This Government is committed to strengthening and further developing primary care services.”
As we continue to expand free GP care to those under 18 years of age, we will also provide more services in primary care.
She went on to say that it was the intention of the government to focus on early intervention, providing minor surgery services and managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes or asthma.
An online registration system for the service will go live from today and can be accessed here. To register for the service a person is required to provide their name, PPS number, gender, date of birth, contact details and selection of GP.
- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.
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My 80year old mother is on a waiting list 16months (apparently 18 the norm) just to see an eye consultant not surgery that will probably take c another 18months. I’d rather see money being directed towards more consultants and shortening waiting time!
You’re bang on michele. This softening people up with free healthcare is the calm before the storm. Workers are going to get roasted when this “universal healthcare” is introduced. The cost to taxpayers will make the water changes look like small change.
FG don’t care, this free GP care is to cover their millionaire mates who have private health insurance to jump the queue in public hospitals.
Giving free GP care to millionaire pensioners is were FG start to implement universal healthcare tells you all you need to know about them. Bribing doctors with fees far in excess of those for medical card patients.
Said in elderly voice…
Is it election time already, where is my tablets that I have to pay 30 euros for to get off the chemist each month…
Then the vaccines for the children…
http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-centers-for-disease-control-cdc-scientist-we-scheduled-meeting-to-destroy-vaccine-autism-study-documents/5465966
I know one guy who has free travel and a medical card who sold a pub some years ago and was also a farmer and cattle dealer. He’s estimated to be worth over a million. I feel warm and content at night knowing he and his wife can get on a bus or train 7 days a week for nothing ( they do btw ) and free GP care. We can means test a guy on the dole but not this guy??????
He supplied you with beer and steak for years and now you’re complaining because he, at the grand ol’ age of 70 can avail of free travel and a visit to the GP? Ah would you stop! Worked hard all his life by the sounds of it. I think he has well earned it. All in the name of a fairer system.
We all work hard or should anyway. I object to a guy with pots of money travelling for free while a student who has f**k all pays. An unemployed person pays. As for this guy. He dealt in cash for everything so his tax contributions were minimal if any. Lots like him. Politicians goin after the silver (grey) vote. If only under 6s could vote too (heaven).
John, so you’re not interested in the fact that what the government is trying to do is implement a single-tier health service, supported by Universal Health Insurance (UHI) meaning, equal access to healthcare based on need not income, universal primary care including GP care without fees for all etc.? I am.
They are heading in that direction and until a time that plan stops short of providing that for everyone, I will hold off complaining. You have to see the bigger picture and you have to give it time to work.
I have a child with a chromosomal disorder and have paid for all his care since ‘they’ decided I did not fit the medical card criteria after we(hubby and self) went back to college, got our belated education and started earning and contributing. I for one am looking forward to universal health care, not based on income but provided for by the hard working taxpayers, without begrudging others. An ideal would be sweeden for me.
“Universal Health Insurance (UHI) meaning, equal access to healthcare based on need not income” yet FG start by giving millionaires free GP care and not in the hospitals were equality is needed, but then their mates couldn’t jump the queue in public hospitals.
FG disgust me, giving millionaires free GP care isn’t ending a two tier system, in fact it’s making it worse diverting resources away from those in most need. But the poor don’t vote FG ( I wonder why) so they don’t care.
Ok I will give you the free GP for all future but this free travel shite pisses me off no end. Get on a train at the weekend and it’s full of free travellers. No wonder cie or the rail are losing money. Surely a fiver per head would be fair for all sides. If people need to travel for hospital appointments or something similar then they should be free but this lets hop on a bus for the day is costing too much money. Money we don’t have. It’s the reason a train journey is so expensive for everyone else.
I sincerely doubt that the minister for nothing, yet everything, made that announcement 7 mins ago. Isn’t it just terrible when some people have to actually work for a living. Apart from Kenny and Kelly, Varadkar would be 3rd on the list of puppets.
Oh god…I wish I was under 6 or over 70…what a load of crap….what about free G.P care for everybody?
Or rather then giving free GP care to everyone in what are key demographics for FG/ACA that largely are healthy, we give out more medical cards to people who need them.
This is taking away from people in actual need to give to people who don’t need this and is rather blatant vote buying.
Over 70′s can sign up online? Now I realise that there will be many who are quite capable and will probably have the latest technology, but when I read things like this I can’t help but think of my own almost 80 year old mother who spoke into my laptop because thats what they did on that Star Trek War thing on TV. She never ceases to call me to tell me of the wonders of what you can do ‘on-the-line’ these days so you can understand that when an elderly person like this is expected to just go online like a tech savy teenager it isn’t just laughable, it’s insulting. It fact it’s a means of say we’re putting this almost withing your reach, but we know you haven’t a hope in hell of actually grasping it.
About a year ago my mother patiently queued up in her local bank, eventually got to see one of only two tellers on duty who told her she could do this ‘on-the-line’ and wanted to dismiss her. No so fast. She asked the teller to check her balance, and was told this. She then pointed out that the young lady in fact worked for her, as the bank in question… well you know the rest, and not to be so bloody cheeky. As one of the last two tellers left she didn’t exactly have great job security, did she? The poor girl was lucky the wooden spoon didn’t appear.
That should buy a few votes
A) there’s an election coming, that’s why
B) if there hadn’t been republicanism Ireland would still be in the UK under comparatively proper decent accountable management just as NI is and there would be a FREE NHS FOR ALL.
We will see what happens by October???
http://www.globalresearch.ca/why-is-the-eu-forcing-european-nations-to-adopt-bail-in-legislation-by-the-end-of-the-summer/5465265
Will they have the money for this then??? Saying nothing about the budget afterwards?
This reform is to cater for those over 70 who earn over the gross income limit of €700 pw for a single person or €1400 pw for a couple. This means test is now abolished for free GP care. However, this group will still pay for prescription medicines up to a maximum of €144 per month. Those not on line can get application forms from Citizens Information offices.
those on over 50k pensions/income can well afford the 100 quid a month, it’s those under 70 living on 15k-20k with no help I pity
What can be done that the problem
What’s with the expansion # btw? Never saw a bigger load of horse doo doo in my life. #rubbish might be a better option. Soz you had to catch the early shift Michael. Hope ur ok hun.
I believe all people should have free GP visits !!
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