(aka why GPs aren’t going to go back to bulk billing but it might save the few remaining bulk billing practices if you’re lucky to have one near you that caters for ongoing patients and more complex needs aka not an urgent care clinic which has a place but isn’t the answer we’re looking for)
So, this is the measure that Labor reckons will get bulk billing at GP’s back to 90% of consults. It was a key part of the campaign, along with more urgent care clinics – which are GP practices you can drop into for a one-off consult for something acute but not needing hospital – like back pain or a sprain or something. They say go there for a break but I’m not confident all centres have X-rays so it’d be best to check your local one before deciding there over the Emergency room.
The first version of the increased bulk billing incentives came in for kids and concession card holders in November 2023. If your doctor took it on that’s awesome, but very few did in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. One local practice will do it for under 14s and over 65s, but not for concession card holders between those ages (or 15-17 year old kids). Most practices, including the one I go to has a discounted upfront fee for concession card holds – some have different levels for blue and green concession card holders and for kids. Upfront GP costs about $100 here with Medicare card only and $80ish for concession, with the $42 rebate for a standard level B consult.
The extra incentive, depending on location, gives an extra $20+ per consult to the practice, if they bulk bill the patient. There’s a loading of 12.5% too in the new version if they bulk bill all patients. They also need patients enrolled in MyMedicare, yeah yet another program rather than upping the medicare benefit paid across the board.
The patient des not get this if they’re privately billed. SO most of us are still going to be out of pocket $40-$60 a visit if we can afford to front up the cash. So, many are still stuck rationing their ongoing healthcare to if they can afford it, or if they can GET to a urgent care clinic (not at all easy by public transport) or waiting it out til it’s an emergency and being thankful in NSW that if you have a concession card you can get free ambulance.
Personally, I’m continuing to schedule my GP appointments for ongoing care and scripts around pension days so I know I’ll have the money upfront. But not everyone can work that, or be able to be down $40-60 after the appointment even with rebates being paid back that night – and not everyone even has a regular GP or one taking on patients in their area.
We’ve used the urgent care clinic for stuff, but it’s completely unsuitable for mental health care or anything ongoing physically.
The base rebate needs to be higher – enough to either incentivise bulk billing or to allow people to get the money together to go knowing they’ll get most of it back to then be able to afford their regular expenses or medications that are prescribed.
Another announceable at the end of April was the “1800MEDICARE“..
Whether you need expert health advice or reassurance, the registered nurses at 1800MEDICARE will be there all day, every day, to provide advice and refer you to the health service you need – whether that’s your regular GP, the local hospital or a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
So, at the initial level, the 1800MEDICARE number and service is a rebranding of the Health Direct line, staffed by nurses 24/7 in conjunction with the states. I’ve used that service personally and at work, and have been transferred to them from 000 (don’t worry it wasn’t life threatening) for more thorough triage and consult.
What 1800MEDICARE is adding to this is a GP service between 6pm and 8am, able to give you a prescription after hours when urgent care clinics aren’t open. For me, if I got a script from them it might be helpful and I could fill it at 8:30am weekdays locally when the chemist opened, or if some one was able to drive there’s chemists 15 minutes away open 9-4 Sat, 9-2 Sundays. They can order bloods I guess to then get done in business hours? But I’m not really sure how much more they can offer that the nurse line can’t. So it’s a helpful extra service, but not going to solve the problem people have of not being able to afford to have an ongoing GP.
If you need urgent GP care that can’t wait for your regular GP to be available, the triage nurses will connect you to a free telehealth session with a 1800MEDICARE GP via phone or video, available all weekend and weeknights between 6pm and 8am.
On your phone and in the comfort of your home, a 1800MEDICARE GP will provide the free care you need, like an emergency prescription for your regular medication, or treatment for an illness or injury.
I’m currently waiting for my GP to call, since I changed my appointment today to telehealth since I’ve been snotting up the place. After the call, reception will call me to get my card details for the $80 fee, of which I’ll get $42.85 back from Medicare this evening. Fortunately I have been into the clinic in the last 12 months so I AM eligible for the rebate.
So I’ll save the mental health promises and anything else I think of for next time.
Love yas!