Better health and ageing for all Australians

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Better and more affordable access to GPs under A Fairer Medicare

The Federal Government is determined to push ahead with its $917 million A Fairer Medicare reform package to give better and more affordable access to GPs after today's release of the June quarter bulk-billing figures.

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29 August 2003

Better and more affordable access to GPs under A Fairer Medicare

The Federal Government is determined to push ahead with its $917 million A Fairer Medicare reform package to give better and more affordable access to GPs after today's release of the June quarter bulk-billing figures.

The Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said although the June quarter rate of bulk billing for GP attendances was unchanged from the previous quarter, the Government was committed to the introduction of A Fairer Medicare to get better and more affordable access to GPs for patients.

The Medicare statistics show that in the June quarter, 2003, the rate of bulk billing for GP attendances was 68.per cent, which was the same as the March quarter, 2003.

In 2002-03, the rate of bulk billing for all GP attendances was 69.5 per cent.

Senator Patterson said: "The rate of decline of bulk billing has slowed considerably during 2002-03. However, the headline rate of bulk billing can be misleading because it hides inequities, such as low bulk billing among concession card holders in rural and outer-metropolitan areas.

"The Howard Government has taken leadership on the issue of addressing affordable access to GP services and I call on the Senate to stop holding up this important package.

"I note from the figures that the rate of bulk billing in 2002-03 for those aged 65 years and over was 77.2 per cent. This means nearly eight out 10 visits to the doctor by older Australians, who are usually on fixed incomes and need to go to the doctor more often, involve no out-of-pocket expense.

"The Government's A Fairer Medicare will provide financial incentives to GPs to provide medical care at no cost to patients covered by a Commonwealth concession card.

"The Government has a five-point plan to improve affordable access to GP, get more doctors to where they are needed and puts in place stronger safety nets for patients."

The Government's A Fairer Medicare will provide:

  • more doctors and nurses in rural and outer metropolitan areas where they are needed most;
  • more places at medical schools to train new doctors with a bonding scheme to get them to the areas people need them;
  • incentives for doctors to bulk bill, particularly in rural and outer- metropolitan areas, making bulk billing more widely available;
  • easier access to the Medicare rebate with patients able to present their Medicare card to participating GPs and claim the rebate. No more lining up at the Medicare office;
  • two new safety nets to help people with high out-of-pocket costs which are not covered now

Media inquiries: Sarah Higginbottom, Assistant Media Adviser, Senator Patterson's office, 02 6277 7220.