Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, Sydney
PHELPS: The AMA has been predicting a massive decline in bulkbilling rates for some time now, and that's certainly coming to fruition. We are seeing a substantial decline in the number of services bulkbilled by GPs, because GPs simply cannot afford to keep providing quality services and bulkbill at such a discount.
QUESTION: How much are the GPs having to subsidise those consultations by the ones who are bulkbilling?
PHELPS: GPs are having to subsidise consultations if they bulkbill by up to 50 per cent. Now this is just unsustainable. We have increasing costs of technology, increased costs of running staff, running practices, and it's just simply impossible to keep on running a practice, paying your indemnity bills, paying all your practice costs, and bulkbill.
QUESTION: How long do you think it'll be before bulkbilling stops altogether?
PHELPS: Well I think it's a matter of time. There will always be some GPs who are prepared to provide a substantial discount for people who are disadvantaged, for pensioners, but I think we've got to the stage where the Government can no longer rely on doctors to subsidise Medicare.
QUESTION: The Federal Government, but similarly they have to understand the plight of patients who are now forced to pay more from their household budgets for health care.
QUESTION: Craig Knowles is talking a big impact on the State health system.
PHELPS: That's of money having to go into health care from household budgets, then it makes sense that people will be turning up to accident and emergency departments more, and that seems to be happening.
It means that they will leave illness longer before they seek attention. They'll be less likely to look at preventive measures for their health care, and this is a great concern because we may well see further health problems created out of this down the track.
Thank you all, much appreciated.
Ends