GPs hold line on bulk billing limits
Thousands of seniors can now get the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, but don’t expect bulk billing.
Around 44,000 more seniors are eligible for the
However, doctors are pushing back on comments by government ministers suggesting cardholders should expect reductions in the cost of GP care.
In the face of more card holders presenting at GP clinics, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has warned that while GPs will look to bulk bill those who cannot afford healthcare, there is no obligation to do so for those who are able to pay for treatment.
President Adjunct Professor Karen Price said many practices have now moved to mixed billing (less bulk billing), which means people can expect a gap fee depending on their circumstances. “We’re here to help the most vulnerable, but making that determination can be really difficult. It needs to be on a case-by-case basis,” Professor Price said.
Professor Price also says many patients are unaware of how bulk billing works, putting the onus on GPs to engage with patients to explain the system.
She said the card does not guarantee bulk billing.
“A lot of people feel entitled to this, and it’s not an entitlement,’ she said. ‘We’re not paid by the Government – it’s [the patients’] insurance.
“If they feel [it] is inadequate, they should talk to the insurer, which is the Government.”
The RACGP is encouraging GPs to be adequately informed and resourced and prepare for patient inquiries, and to explain the system to them.
The college has also repeated demands for the government to boost subsidies, or rebates, through the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
“GPs for too long have been wedged by our own altruism,” Professor Price said.
“It’s a great disservice to the population because it has created a lack of workforce. We should really talk about the fact that bulk billing is a 50 per cent discount. “Where else do you go with any kind of seniors’ card and get a 50 per cent discount for a private business? Not Woolworths or anywhere else,” she said.
In the coming weeks Health Minister Mark Butler is expected to release the report of the Strengthening Medicare government taskforce. This is a group of medical organisations and health experts who have recommended ways to address hospitals, primary care, and chronic conditions.
In an address to the media, Mr Butler has suggested that an increase to the Medicare rebate to encourage more GPs to offer bulk billing will not happen, but rather that a reform of the system would be a better option than “simply adding more money to the existing structures”.
For further reading: RACGP, The Guardian
