Doctors surprised by low uptake of GP visit card
Visit It Applied Cost Appointments Free Gives €75, Of But The For From To Have Otherwise Which Thousands People €50 Gp Card Not Can
Some people are reluctant to apply for new means-tested GP visit card because they do not want to be considered poor in society, a leading GP familiar with the scheme has said.
Thousands of people have not applied for cards which could save them hundreds of euro annually in GP fees, leaving doctors amazed at the low uptake.
The latest HSE figures show out of 430,000 people who are eligible, just 38,993 cards have been issued using new income thresholds in place since September.
Tadhg Crowley, chairman of the Irish Medical Organisation’s (IMO) GP committee, said it is a complex and sensitive issue.
“Some people don’t actually like to be considered poor,” he said, pointing out that GP visit cards for children are, by contrast, based on age only.
In his experience, he said, people worry ‘I’m applying and does this mean I’m considered poor in society’.
He said some people also worry they could get a diminished service although this is not the case.
The cards give free appointments which otherwise can cost from €50 to €75. They also give access to chronic disease management programmes for type 2 diabetes, asthma, COPD, and heart diseases.
However, he said despite it being simplified by the HSE, the process of applying is the main obstacle.
“The application process is quite complicated and it is quite difficult to fill out,” said Dr Crowley.
His practice in Kilkenny has one secretary who supports people in applying.
“You have to be quite computer-savvy to go through it, it is a difficult process and I think it is quite laborious,” he said.
The IMO had predicted a surge in patient visits when the health minister announced plans for this expansion of the free visit scheme.
Dr Crowley and his colleagues shared this expectation, he said, during the IMO’s annual general meeting in Killarney.
“We were quite amazed, we thought we would be over-run with people applying for the card,” he said.
“It’s very poor, I’d say we had about 50 people.”
He added: “People were reluctant to be sitting down and providing details [on their finances].”
Also during the AGM, doctors were told that vaccine hesitancy is one contributor to lower than expected vaccine rates against serious conditions including measles.
Discussing people’s fears can help, said Paddy Kelly, clinical lead for immunisations with the Irish College of General Practitioners.
He also cautioned that data limitations mean definitive numbers of children in each region are not known, and said: “We are probably overreporting vaccine uptake figures."
He said doctors should take the time to understand how people feel about vaccinations, and ask open-ended questions such as 'can I ask what worries you?'"