AMA warns GP practices face collapse because of funding crisis
The AMA has issued a warning to National Cabinet that the nation’s GPs are at crisis point and many practices are facing collapse if the ailing Medicare system does not receive an urgent much-needed boost.
The AMA has issued a warning to National Cabinet that the nation’s GPs are at crisis point and many practices are facing collapse if the ailing Medicare system does not receive an urgent much-needed boost.
The AMA has called for an urgent overhaul of Medicare because Australia’s GPs are “on the point of collapse”.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson told Nine’s Today that governments had gradually reduced Medicare rebates available to patients for decades and the primary healthcare system had “now reached crisis point”.
“We are very concerned that if action is not taken by the end of this year the system that allows Australians to see GPs is going to be on the point of collapse.”
Professor Robson was speaking before today’s meeting of National Cabinet that will discuss health system reform to ease the burden on GPs and public hospitals that are in logjam.
“We know the Premiers want action because if people can’t see GPs, if they can’t get their care, it means they are more likely to go to the emergency departments, which are already under incredible pressure,” Professor Robson said.
AMA Vice President Dr Danielle McMullen said Medicare was in strife because over the past 40 years little had changed and successive government had failed to index appropriately the patient rebate.
“So we are finding the costs of providing comprehensive care that patients want and deserve from their GP continuing to skyrocket with the cost of living and yet that rebate back in your pocket as a patient has not kept pace with inflation,” she said on Ten’s Project.
“So patients are facing increasing out-of-pocket costs in a system that is not built for the chronic diseases that we are living with today.
“We are seeing bulk-billing rates fall at the most rapid rate across the country and that reflects how that rebate back to the patient has not kept pace with the cost of providing care, which is now double the patient rebate. So we cannot afford to keep bulk billing and keep the doors open.
“We need greater support to do so and recognition that general practice is still the most efficient part of our healthcare system, but it has been under-resourced for so many years and it’s going to take a fair bit of time for it to catch-up”.
