HSE figures reveal medical card payouts

Doctors in and around Mullingar received almost €2.7 million in medical card payments from the government in 2008 according to figures just released by the HSE.The sum was split among 18 practitioners and does not include extra running cost payments which are also claimed by each surgery attending to patients who hold medical cards. the Westmeath Examiner has found.Dr Patrick Cullen based at Lakeview, Coole earned the most money from medical card payments for doctors in the area in 2008 taking €498,701.28 in fees and another €102,767.14 in practice support.Dr Declan Brennan who runs surgeries at Millmount in Mullingar and in Kinnegad also emerged as a top earner taking €366,863.29 for Mullingar and €252,874.37 for Kinnegad in medical card fees alone.Dr Eoin Ruane, Mary St Mullingar, Dr Jeremiah Jo Flynn, the Health Centre Kilbeggan, Dr P Kelly, Ballymore and Dr Noel Cogan, Castlepollard all earned over €300,000 from medical card payments alone.Dr Grainne Clyne, Tyrellspass, Dr Liam D'Alton, College Street Mullingar, Dr Francis J McKenna Mullingar and Dr Brendan P Mahon, the Health Centre Delvin all earned upwards of €200,000 for medical card fees.In some cases surgeries claimed up to a further €100,000 from the government for practice running costs.