Eleven GP practices made more than €1m from the medical card scheme last year.
Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk show spending on the scheme increased by 8% last year.
In all, almost €854m was paid out to over 3,000 GP practices under the medical card scheme last year – up from the €788m in 2020.
The total includes payments for patients and practice support payments.
Some 24 practices were paid more than €900,000 under the scheme, with 11 getting at least €1m.
The highest earner was Dr Salgaonkar Vivek Mahadev, who runs a surgery in Mountmellick, County Laois, who was paid over €1.3m.
The next highest was Dr Austin O'Carroll in the north inner-city Dublin, at over €1.2m.
Dr Caitlin O’Connor in Tralee, County Kerry came in third, at over €1.19m.
In a statement, the HSE said the figures are gross amounts – noting that while they’re attached to the name of a particular GP, they can cover several GPs and staff working in the same practice.
