THE CABINET is expected to consider proposals next week for a new fee schedule for GPs to treat all patients over the age of 70 who are covered by the medical card scheme.
The deadline expired yesterday for the Irish Medical Organisation, the HSE and other interested parties to make submissions under the process established by the Government to recommend a new fee.
The Government last week decided that a new single capitation fee would be introduced for all patients over 70 regardless of whether they qualified for a medical card on age or means grounds.
Up to now the payment to GPs for patients who received cards on a means basis was €160 per year, while the rate for an age-based medical card was €640.
The Government last week appointed the former secretary general at the Department of Finance and current chairman of the Public Appointment Service Eddie Sullivan to recommend a new rate for GPs .
There has been speculation that the new capitation rate could be in the region of €320-€330 a year.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said yesterday that the Cabinet was still scheduled to consider the new rate at a meeting next Wednesday.
The Government has also established a new process to look at how savings on drug costs can be achieved. It wants an initial report from this expert group chaired by Dr Michael Barry to be produced by the beginning of December.
However, the Government has been vague on the specific targets it has set for reductions in drug costs. Overall the Government has said that it is confident that savings of €100 can be realised through the changes in the capitation rate for GPs and the drug cost efficiencies.