Older people The granting of medical cards to all those over the age of 70, regardless of means, has resulted in improved health for many elderly people, a new study suggests.
Getting the medical card has also led to an increased uptake of the influenza vaccine, and has led to people over 70 attending their GP more often. The findings are based on a comparison between the habits of 50 patients who got non-means-tested medical cards and 50 who already held means-tested medical cards on their 70th birthday.
The study, in the latest edition of the Irish Medical Journal, found that prior to the granting of medical cards to all over-70s in July 2001, those who would have had to pay for care were less inclined to consult their GP, less likely to take regular medications, less likely to be diagnosed with chronic disease, less likely to be diagnosed as having high blood pressure, and less likely, for men, to have PSA screening for prostate cancer.
"After granting GMS eligibility, the consultation rate of 'new GMS' patients rose by 73 per cent... and significance in the difference between the two groups was lost," the report says.Removal of the barrier to payment increased uptake of influenza vaccine from 40 per cent to 62 per cent. New GMS patients appeared at first glance to be healthier than their old GMS counterparts based on prevalence rates of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and medication consumption.
"This may represent the effect of socio-economic grouping on health or the tendency for patients with premature chronic disease to retire from the workforce prematurely and become GMS eligible.
However, the increase in newly identified hypertensives among new GMS patients suggests the low consultation rate of this group when fee paying may have resulted in less exposure to practice screening activities.
If so, this study suggests over-70s are reaping the potential benefits of free GP care.