Dr Jo-An Dovaston, General Practitioner: It's very difficult to break even in a rural practice. The costs are higher. So, it's very hard to retain very good staff if you don't pay them well. The new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program made it sustainable. You get good staff, then you deliver good healthcare. It's very helpful.
Alice Gainsford, Practice Nurse: When using the bulk billing calculator, it definitely showed that this was the right thing to do for us and our patients.
Dr Jo-an Dovaston: The benefits are great for the surrounding communities.
Nicole, Patient: We haven't had bulk billing for such a long time that people sort of forgot that it even existed. And so now it's great. I have asthma, I've had it all my life, and now I know that I can come to the doctors and not be afraid of what it's going to cost me out of my pocket to make sure my asthma is going well.
Dr Nandhini Rangarajan, General Practitioner: I think the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program is going to strengthen the fundamentals of primary healthcare.
Alice Gainsford: It made us be able to have more doctors and more staff.
Dr Jo-An Dovaston: We are able to offer more services for the patients in a timely manner, so they don't have to travel far.
Nicole: If we didn't have a bulk billing service here, the closest is over an hour away. And for elderly people, travelling an hour can be hard. And public transport is not great here as well.
Dr Jo-An Dovaston: Keeping the services local is a big benefit to the community.
Dr Nandhini Rangarajan: And it develops a culture of trust to seek for help whenever it is needed.
Dr Jo-An Dovaston: And if the patients feel that they're well cared for, they're always going to come back to you.
Nicole: The community will be so happy, and they will come. The people will come.
For more information, visit the website health.gov.au/BBPIP.