The Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) is responsible for reimbursing GPs, Dentists, Pharmacists, Optometrists/Ophthalmologists and other contractors who provide free or reduced-cost services to the public across a range of primary care schemes. These schemes form the infrastructure through which the HSE delivers a significant proportion of primary care to the public. Just over 42% of the population, or 2.1 million people, now have access to free GP care.

In 2020 PCRS reimbursed approximately 7,000 contractors for the provision of health services to the public under the various schemes, including the General Medical Services Scheme (GMS), Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS), Long Term Illness Scheme (LTI), Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) and Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS). PCRS also made payments to suppliers and manufacturers of High Tech drugs as part of the High Tech Arrangement and facilitated direct payments to hospitals involved in the provision of national treatment programmes such as the National Cancer Control Programme, the National Hepatitis C Treatment Programme and Multiple Sclerosis Services. In all, PCRS made total payments and reimbursements of €3.3 billion. Included in this is an amount in excess of €168m in respect of COVID-19 Emergency related costs.

The Statistical Analysis of Claims and Payments report gives an overview of the volume of claims and payments made during the year and the number of people who benefitted. Further details and updated monthly reports are available online at www.hsepcrs.ie under “PCRS Publications”.