The country’s GPs will today vote at the annual conference of the Irish Medical Organisation on a motion for the withdrawal from the medical card scheme.
Earlier this year, GPs postponed a vote on withdrawal when they received assurances from the Department of Health they would be reimbursed by the end of March. The fees still remain outstanding.
Doctors agreed a deal with the Department of Health last year that they would receive increased payments for operating the medical card scheme.
But some 1,650 doctors are still owed outstanding fees worth an estimated €10,000 per doctor.
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If today’s motion is passed GPs could start charging medical card holders between €5 and €10 per visit as early as next week.