Everything you need to know about free GP care for under-sixes

From Tuesday, under-sixes across the State – or more accurately their parents – will be able to avail of free GP visits under a new regime.

But if you haven’t yet registered for the scheme, how do you do so, how will it work and what’s happening with free GP visits for the over-70s?

What is the scheme again?

First announced by the Government in the budget in October 2013, free GP care for the under-sixes was seen as the first step in a roll-out of free GP care for all.

It was to be introduced in summer 2014, at a cost of about €37 million a year, but there were delays in getting the legislation passed and negotiating the new contract with GPs.

However, since the middle of this month, the scheme has become operational. And while it is still not complete, with many doctors across the State not signing up, it is now possible to register for the scheme.

Free GP care for under-sixes was originally envisioned as just one element of the Government’s plans to roll out a free GP service for all. This project, which originally had a target date of 2016, now looks uncertain.

But for the moment, parents of under-sixes should at least get some relief from hefty GP charges, which can cost upwards of €50 each time they visit.

Who is the scheme for?

The scheme is targeted at the under-sixes, which means everyone who hasn’t yet reached their sixth birthday.

Unfortunately for some parents, given the time lag from when the scheme was first announced to when it was introduced, they will find their child no longer qualifies as they are now too old.

However, if your child turns six in July, he/she will still be eligible for the scheme for the month, so it’s worth registering just in case you need to visit the doctor during July. After that their card will no longer work.

Other parents should note a “valid to” date on their card, which gives the expiration date – typically the child’s birthday. In any case, the HSE says you will be notified by the National Medical Card Unit about three months before your child’s or children’s eligibility is due to expire.

How do I register?

While the website crashed in its early days, it's now operational. To apply for your GP visit card you will need the PPS numbers for any eligible children.

If you cannot find or have never received a PPS number for your child, you can contact the Client Identity Services unit at the Department of Social Protection on LoCall 1890-927999 or email cis@welfare.ie.

Once you have registered (here: http://iti.ms/1Gxc5OU) , you will receive a card in the post for each eligible child. According to a spokeswoman for the HSE, this should take a couple of days to arrive, once approved by your GP.

However, even if the arrival of your card is delayed, it won’t affect your accessing the scheme, as once you register you will receive a card number by text message.

“This number can be used to avail of GP care, starting on July 1st, in advance of receiving the GP visit card(s),” the HSE says. As of June 22nd, some 46,500 children, out of a total of about 270,000, or 17 per cent, had been registered for the scheme.

Is my card linked to a particular doctor?

Yes, when you register your child for the scheme you will be asked to select a particular doctor.

However, as we now know, not every doctor has signed up to the scheme. If your family GP hasn’t signed up to it, you will have to find another doctor.

As of June 22nd, about three-quarters of GPs across the State had signed up to the scheme, but rates varied across the country, with 98 per cent of doctors in Donegal committing to the scheme, but just 15 per cent of doctors in south Tipperary.

As a result, in areas such as south Tipperary, there may be difficulties for some people in accessing the scheme.

Many GPs with full patient lists aren’t inclined to take on new patients, which means that if your own GP hasn’t signed up to the scheme, you may find it difficult to find another GP in your area. And even if you do, they may not accept your application.

It may be possible, however, that your GP’s application simply hasn’t been processed on the day you signed up to the service.

The contracts shown on the HSE’s website are updated on a daily basis, so you can check back regularly.

If for whatever reason your child or children attend separate GPs, you must complete a separate registration for each child and choose the GP of choice on each registration.

If you wish to change GP for some reason – perhaps because your family GP signs up at a later date – you can do so here: http://iti.ms/1TNfu6p.

What happens after I register?

Once you have registered, the information will then go to the GP you have selected who must accept your children onto their patient panel. Once this happens, a GP visit card will be issued to you within a few days.

Be aware, however, that you may get an email telling you that your GP does not accept electronic registrations. If this happens, you must print the attachment in the email, bring it to the GP in question and get them to complete the acceptance section. The completed form must be sent to: GP Visit Card for Children Under 6, PO Box 12629, Dublin 11.

What does the card cover?

It is important to note that the new service is a GP visit card only – it’s not a medical card. This means that, while you get free access to a GP, it won’t cover additional expenses such as blood tests and prescriptions. You will still have to foot the bill for everything from pain relieve medication to antibiotics for your child, unless your child has eligibility under the long-term illness scheme.

If so, they will receive drug, medicines and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their long-term illness free of charge.

In addition, however, a child qualifying for the scheme will get two free assessments from their GP at age two and five, which will look at their weight and height. There will be additional care for children with asthma, with a check every year for the child once they have been diagnosed.

What about emergency department and out-of-hours GP visits?

While home visits are covered by the scheme, they tend to be a rarity these days. The HSE states: “It will be a matter for the GP to exercise his/her judgment in each individual case in determining whether a home visit is warranted.”

More common is the use of an out-of-hours service such as Dub Doc or South Doc, which will send a doctor to your home outside of normal practice hours. However, it’s an expensive service and can cost upwards of about €70.

The good news is that, according to the HSE, this service will be covered under the new scheme, provided your GP is part of this out-of-hours service.

When it comes to an emergency department visit, however, having a card won’t exempt you from hospital charges, which are typically €100 per visit. But, as is currently the case, if you attend first with your under-six at your GP, who then recommends you visit the emergency department, you will avoid this charge.

What about the over-70s?

At present, the over-70s must undergo a means test to qualify for a medical card. Ostensibly, they must not have weekly income of more than €500 for a single person/€900 for a couple.

However, a looser test is required for a GP visit card. So, if you have weekly income of less than €700 single person/€1,400 a couple, you can get this card.

From August 1st, 2015, however, everyone will qualify for a GP visit card, regardless of income, just by virtue of being in this older age group.

While it doesn’t go so far as to replace the automatic entitlement to a medical card that the over-70s age group enjoyed before it was removed, it will give free doctor visits to thousands of people.

Some 36,000 over-70s who are currently excluded from the income-tested benefits are expected to benefit, at an annual cost of about €18 million to the State.

The card will only become available to this age group. Spouses and partners under-70 will continue to be means-tested for free access to their doctor.

Much like the GP card for the under-sixes, the over-70s card will allow people in this age group to visit a GP for free but won’t offer any cover for drugs, blood tests, access to emergency departments, etc.

According to the HSE, an online registration system is being developed and as with the under-sixes, GPs will also have to sign up for the service. They will then accept patients looking to register with them.

This registration service is not open yet, but if you’re wondering whether your GP will sign up, a good guide is to check whether or not they have signed up to the under-sixes here: http://iti.ms/1Gxc5OU.