“Last night’s budget finally delivered funding to maintain and improve affordable access to Australia’s most vulnerable patients, those on pensions and Health Care Cards”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.”
“We strongly support the tripling of the bulk billing incentive for the most disadvantaged as a first step to saving Medicare after years of neglect. This means that from today, GPs who really want to make sure that co-payments don’t stop their patients coming to see them but have contemplated charging co-payments can now do what they feel is the best thing for their patients and maintain or return to bulk billing.”
“So many of my patients will be relieved at the change as for months they have been chasing a bulk billing clinic they can afford, where they can get consistent care from a doctor they have known for years.”
“Decreases in the prescription costs will also delight our patients as they can be less inclined to spread their prescription medicines out to every second day, or not even fill the script because the fridge needs fixing,” said Dr Woodruff.
“The long term changes will take years to have benefits but there is pleasingly a lot of good ideas which the Government is working through with a clear reformist agenda.”
