Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
893. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Health her plans to allow those with a medical card for long-term illness to receive free blood tests from their GP's; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51741/25]
View answerUnder the Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme, for the 16 conditions covered by the Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge. The cost of blood tests provided by a GP are not covered under the LTI Scheme, however it is important to remember that the LTI Scheme exists within a wider eligibility framework.
Under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme, medical card and GP visit card holders are entitled to GP care without charge. Medical card and GP visit card eligibility is primarily based on residency and means, while some people may be automatically eligible for either card, for example all children under 8 years of age and those aged 70 years or more are eligible for a GP visit card.
As per the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card to be charged for clinically necessary blood tests that either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition.
In addition, blood tests undertaken in the context of the GP Chronic Disease Management programme are covered by the fees paid to GPs by the HSE for this care.
Fees charged by GPs outside the terms of the GMS contracts (and other HSE GP held contracts) are a matter of private contract between the clinician and their patient.
