Doctors warn that regional areas will soon be left with few bulk-billing practices if Medicare subsidies for general practitioners are not increased.
An increasing number of practices in Australia have stopped using bulk billing in favour of private billing
of patients.
Doctors say that Medicare subsidies have remained stagnant since they were first introduced.
The deputy president of the Midwest Division of General Practice, Richard Taylor, said people feel
they cannot afford to visit their general practitioner and prefer to go to emergency departments. He added that “Medicare subsidies are not adequate and do not reflect the true cost of healthcare.”
Medicare reimburses clinics $39.10 for each session between 6 and 20 minutes, which leaves doctors with just $10 in revenue from the appointment. To maintain no-fee-for-service, the clinic would have to conduct 5-minute sessions to cover its running costs.
Australian Medical Association spokeswoman April Armstrong said Medicare was never intended
to be a full-cost service, but only to cover 85%, with patients contributing the remainder.
“Without private fees, we would have fewer doctors and less access to healthcare,” she stated.
