ForHealth Group, the largest bulk-billing General Practice provider in Australia serving more than 8 million patient visits annually, commends the announced $8.5b Government commitment to reform Medicare, including:
- Expanded eligibility for the bulk-billing incentive rebate currently only available to children and Healthcare Card holders for all Australians.
- A new 12.5% loading payment on rebates for practices that only bulk-bill.
- A significant expansion of the GP trainee program and nurse scholarships for locally trained workforce.
Implementation of this commitment underpins our universal healthcare system and will build GP workforce and protect and encourage a return to the bulk-billing system. We expect a material increase in bulk-billed visits back to historical levels as a result.
ForHealth CEO Andrew Cohen said:
"This commitment is a vote-of-confidence in Medicare and the primary healthcare sector. The magnitude of this investment has been what the primary care sector has been calling for to enable true reform.
Bulk-billing will now be financially sustainable for both the GP practitioners and for the health care clinic.
This would be a vital change to the vulnerable outer metropolitan and regional communities we operate in, where cost-of-living pressures and private fees are impacting essential visits to the GP. This is a great outcome for the health of all Australians.
It will lead to investment in more practices, better distribution of practices and GPs, longer hours of operation, and more local graduates committing to General Practice as a pathway".
ForHealth Clinical Director Dr Carolyn Roesler said:
"I have worked in Elizabeth in South Australia, a lowest decile socioeconomic community, for more than 25 years. I am also on the Board of the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NAHLAN) which overseas hospitals and community health in the area.
Private gap fees are now commonplace in our area, because rebates are considered too low unless the patient has a Healthcare Card. GP workforce is also very low, half the level of inner metropolitan areas, because the community has a limited capacity to pay for private fees.
I am confident that the proposed changes will fundamentally change health access in Elizabeth, attracting new doctors, ensure Bulk Billing for all and make private fees the exception and not the rule".
ForHealth recognise the commitment to the sector from both sides of Government and encourages all political parties to support this level of investment and ambition for the sector.
