Budget bulk-billing boost welcomed by Primary Care Business Council
The peak body representing the owners of General Practice providers has welcomed improved access to bulk billing services in the Federal Budget which will directly benefit millions of Australians and support the viability of the clinics who provide those services.
A record $3.5 billion investment will triple the bulk billing incentive for concession card holders and children under 16 who attend GP consultations and improve health outcomes for patients around the country.
Since its establishment last year, the PCBC has been highlighting the critical need to ensure affordable access to General Practice for the most vulnerable Australians and maintain general practice services in outer suburban and regional areas.
Mr Jeremy Stones, Executive Director of the Primary Care Business Council, said doctors who had been finding it difficult to stay in business while still offering bulk billing services to concession card holders will now be able to help those who need it most.
“Doctors have been facing difficult decisions about who they can provide bulk billing services to while keeping a viable practice,” Mr Stones said.
“This boost to the Medicare Benefit Scheme will mean vulnerable people can see their GP instead of avoiding care because they simply can’t afford it.
“The rate of bulk billing for the most common consultations has fallen to below 50%, wait times are increasing and more people have been clogging hospital emergency departments when they should have seen their GP.
“This is support where it’s needed and will help GPs keep their doors open, particularly in rural and regional communities so they can continue to provide primary care in a sector which is under enormous pressure.”
The budget also allocated $99.1 million for GP consultations which last for sixty minutes or longer and expanded the government’s commitment to Medicare urgent care clinics with eight new clinics to ease the burden on emergency departments.
The MyMedicare program which offers patients the option to enrol with a preferred GP was also unveiled in the budget overnight.
“These measures will help more than 11 million Australians access a GP without out of pocket expenses and will strengthen the role of general practice in the health system.
“Our concern now is that we won’t have enough GPs and skilled medical practitioners coming into the system and we urge government and key stakeholders to move quickly to adopt proposed reforms to attract international professionals,” Mr Stones said.
The PCBC has previously endorsed the Kruk Review outlining recommendations to address the lengthy processing times and significant cost of recruiting international medical graduates and looks forward to working with the Government to implement these recommendations.
