GP bulk billing rates going down down and further down
AMA President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said today that the latest drop in GP bulk billing rates will send a warning to both the Government and the Opposition that their respective Medicare packages will be redundant before they see the light of day unless patient access and affordability issues are addressed.
GP bulk billing rates fell another 1.1 per cent in the March 2003 quarter - down to 68.5 per cent. This is six per cent lower than at the same time last year. This represents six million fewer GP services being bulk billed.
The GP bulk billing rate is now at its lowest level since 1989-90.
Dr Phelps said policies announced this week may encourage some GPs to hang on to bulk billing for a bit longer, but rising costs into the future will make bulk billing unsustainable for more and more doctors as their practice costs continue to rise.
"Today's figures confirm what the AMA has been saying for some time - GPs are leaving bulk billing in droves and many will never return without substantial reform," Dr Phelps said.
"More needs to be done to ensure affordabilty and access to GPs.
"And affordability doesn't have to mean paying zero dollars at the point of service. What it does mean is that you should be able to see a doctor when you're sick on the day that you are sick - but this is not possible for many Australians at the moment.
"The key is to increase the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) so that it properly reflects the real cost of providing medical services, but this fundamental issue has not been addressed in the current Medicare bidding war.
"The MBS is outdated and inadequate and must be appropriately indexed to match the rapidly increasing cost of running a medical practice.
"We have seen a welcome focus on general practice and patient access this week, but much more needs to be done - and quickly," Dr Phelps said.
CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761
Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306