MichaelP Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Next Monday, on 19 January, the government is cutting the Medicare rebate for family doctor visits by $20. That's for everyone. All the doctors I've spoken to have said they won't be absorbing the charge, but will pass it on to the patient - in other words, stopping bulk billing. The rebate goes down from $37 to $16.95 (that's how much the government gives you back) in january and by a further five bucks to $11.95 in July. That means you the patient will probably be looking at a paying around $40 for a short GP visit (eg for flu shots) and getting $12 back; or $75 for a standard 10-15 minute consultation and getting $32 back. The government is also freezing Medicare rebates for the next four years, which means those gap fees will be increasing by about 5% a year as medical practices increase their charges to cover rising costs and keep pace with inflation. PBS fees are also going up by $5, on top of the current charges of around $30 for a prescription. The bottom line for pommy migrants is that a visit to the GP is now going to cost you at least $50, possibly a lot more if you need more than one prescription. These changes were introduced on the quiet by Tony 'no surprises, no new taxes' Abbott a few days before Christmas. GPs are only now waking up to the fees they will have to start charging. More details from AMA here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scattley Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Next Monday, on 19 January, the government is cutting the Medicare rebate for family doctor visits by $20. That's for everyone. All the doctors I've spoken to have said they won't be absorbing the charge, but will pass it on to the patient - in other words, stopping bulk billing. The rebate goes down from $37 to $16.95 (that's how much the government gives you back) in january and by a further five bucks to $11.95 in July. That means you the patient will probably be looking at a paying around $40 for a short GP visit (eg for flu shots) and getting $12 back; or $75 for a standard 10-15 minute consultation and getting $32 back.The government is also freezing Medicare rebates for the next four years, which means those gap fees will be increasing by about 5% a year as medical practices increase their charges to cover rising costs and keep pace with inflation. PBS fees are also going up by $5, on top of the current charges of around $30 for a prescription. The bottom line for pommy migrants is that a visit to the GP is now going to cost you at least $50, possibly a lot more if you need more than one prescription. These changes were introduced on the quiet by Tony 'no surprises, no new taxes' Abbott a few days before Christmas. GPs are only now waking up to the fees they will have to start charging. More details from AMA here. Its not that dire. What is changing is that extremely short consultations...under 10 minutes...will be charged the lower fee. Given that the vast majority of practices schedule on 15 minute consultations the only change will be for those pushing practices which aim for 8-10 consultations and hour or where they might charge only for script writing a bulk bill amount. There are some practices that charge the $32 for a 2 minute script repeat ...that will now change (the practices I mean are the ones that schedule e.g. 4-5pm on Tuesday's for script repeats...come in and be bulked billed (this happens in private billing practices). the changes are not going to affect many people at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Sorry but you're mistaken. An 8 minute consultation is not "extremely short" and is not uncommon. A good experienced GP will do many such 'Level A' consultations in a busy morning's surgery - and we're not talking about the sausage machine '6 minute medicine' medical centres either. Good GPs do a mix of long and short consultations and until now have balanced these to allow themselves to bulk bill the less fortunate. With Level A's reduced to $11.95 for everyone, GPs will no longer have that option. Nor do busy practices have the option of [inappropriately] pushing out all consultations to 15 minutes just so the patient can claim a higher rebate. GP practices in regional areas are already completely booked out - often days and weeks in advance. Simple maths tells you those GPs cannot keep seeing the same number of patients if they're now all 12-15 minute consults. These changes are a major impact on how people see the GP. A young couple with two infants who need their vaccinations at 2, 4 and 6 months of age plus other GP-related consults are going to be out of pocket to the tune of a few hundred bucks where previously this would have been free with a bulk billing GP. Read the link I posted from the AMA, or read the latest info put out by the RACGP. They ain't scaremongering. This is happening next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Have to say it won't make a differance to us as a family. We are rural and have only one surgery here that don't bulk bill. Costs us $75 per visit anyway. As you said can take days or weeks to see a doctor. Vaccinations for younger children can be done free at council run vaccination clinic days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbclark Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Our surgery already has a sign up saying they won't be passing on any additional fees and bulk billing will still apply. We have online booking available and I never have a problem getting an appointment I may need to wait a day to see a specific gp but can always get an appointment the same day if I will see a non specific gp. Maybe we are lucky I don't know (we in suburban sydney) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 If you elect a fascist government, you can't be surprised when they do fascist things. Those who voted Liberal should hang their heads in shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 I work in health and one bulk-billing GP I spoke with this week said their practice would now switch to charging $10 on top of the new reduced rebate (ie $27 in total) for concession card patients and new rebate +$30 (ie $47) for non-concession patients. Their patients will now have to claim back what they can from Medicare rather than have the doctor bulk bill on their behalf. The GP said she expected to do about ten 5-10 minute consults per day for repeat prescriptions, sick notes, etc. She also said she was planning early retirement, fed up of being taken for granted by the government as she knew she would continue to work for nothing for her really needy patients who could not afford the fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 GPs are only now waking up to the fees they will have to start charging. More details from AMA here. GPs realised the consequences immediately - at least they did in my local area - and I remember a thread about it on PIO before Christmas. From comments of GP's I have seen, the problem for them has been galvanising the AMA and the College of General Practitioners into action... but the local GPs have been very vocal (and angry) about it. They also say they have received nothing about the changes from the government, even though it's only a week to the proposed introduction. A complete shemozzle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 These changes are a major impact on how people see the GP. A young couple with two infants who need their vaccinations at 2, 4 and 6 months of age plus other GP-related consults are going to be out of pocket to the tune of a few hundred bucks where previously this would have been free with a bulk billing GP. Read the link I posted from the AMA, or read the latest info put out by the RACGP. They ain't scaremongering. This is happening next week. Or that family could go to the cafhs nurses and get it done for free without having to see a gp and not be out of pocket at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Again, this is not true for most Australians. Nurse clinics can offers some vaccinations but GPs are the main providers for the overwhelming majority of childhood immunisations. Nurse clinics do not have the capacity or facilities to provide vaccines for all, and are not an option for most families. The RACGP has very grave concerns about the effect of the new GP charges on immunisation rates. Immunisation visits are also an important opportunity for contact between parents and GPs when other issues of child development can be reviewed - this is an important part of wholistic family practice care. Outsourcing immunisations to nurse clinics or pharmacies is not a good move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Well in SA at least they seem to be thriving, and do vaccinations for all children. There was even a teenage lad there when I got baby's 6 week jabs three weeks ago. Everyone I know here was told they could get them done at any number of these places for free. If they choose to go to the gp that's fine, but they certainly don't need this whacking great bill you are quoting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Or that family could go to the cafhs nurses and get it done for free without having to see a gp and not be out of pocket at all. What are cafhs nurses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chewitts Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 What are cafhs nurses? Child And Family Health Services nurse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 What is actually more likely to happen is that people will present at A&E with minor ailments. And, of course, that many people will defer seeing a doctor and their complaints will worsen in the meantime. People will say - oh, it's only $7 or $10 or $20 (or whatever Abbott is putting it up to now) but even comfortable families will still decide to delay seeking advice to save wasted expenditure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 What is actually more likely to happen is that people will present at A&E with minor ailments. And, of course, that many people will defer seeing a doctor and their complaints will worsen in the meantime. People will say - oh, it's only $7 or $10 or $20 (or whatever Abbott is putting it up to now) but even comfortable families will still decide to delay seeking advice to save wasted expenditure. Even minor amounts can seem an awful lot to those struggling to feed a family. Under 18's will now not be able to pop along to a bulk billing Dr for health and advice without having to tap their parents up for the cash, along with resultant lack of privacy. The problem is, although (like changes to UK GP services) the impact on A&E seems bleeding obvious to those with common sense, Governments just don't think through the implications... A few years down the line they'll be paying Ernst & Young consultants $3K a day to identify where the problem lies and write options papers on how to sort the mess out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boganbear Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 The LNP in Queensland and the Liberals are the same bunch of ****s so perhaps i should vote Campbell Newman out in the Qld election Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The LNP in Queensland and the Liberals are the same bunch of ****s so perhaps i should vote Campbell Newman out in the Qld election What's this "perhaps"? :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Next Monday, on 19 January, the government is cutting the Medicare rebate for family doctor visits by $20. That's for everyone. All the doctors I've spoken to have said they won't be absorbing the charge, but will pass it on to the patient - in other words, stopping bulk billing. The rebate goes down from $37 to $16.95 (that's how much the government gives you back) in january and by a further five bucks to $11.95 in July. Of course they are not absorbing the charges. You can't cut businesses' income by 54% initially and by 68% within 6 months and expect them to absorb it. These changes were introduced on the quiet by Tony 'no surprises, no new taxes' Abbott a few days before Christmas. GPs are only now waking up to the fees they will have to start charging. More details from AMA here. It is punishment for people having objected to the co-payment of $7 and humiliated the Government. It is a vindictive, cynical thing to do and is purposively designed to hurt (and hurt a lot) those with least money. It will ultimately cost lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 The College of GPs have just put out a useful flyer on the rebate changes and how they will affect you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geraldine Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Oh dear...any changes that make patients think of A&E before their GP will be bitterly regretted and more costly. Its difficult enough to achieve continuity of care in Oz. This has the wiff of making it even more fragmented.. Shortsighted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Oh dear...any changes that make patients think of A&E before their GP will be bitterly regretted and more costly. Its difficult enough to achieve continuity of care in Oz. This has the wiff of making it even more fragmented.. Shortsighted Very true. I already know people who go to A&E at the drop of a hat for things that could wait for the Dr, sure this will make it a lot worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 "Love letter to Medicare" from the First Dog on the Moon cartoonist. :wubclub: Gave me a rare chuckle in this grim world. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/14/-sp-a-love-letter-to-medicare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 It seems it's been shelved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie 2 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My understanding is that there are exemptions e.g. pensioners, children under 16 etc. I think that there is a lot of rabble rousing going on about this. The country cannot afford the cost of universal health care, so something has to change before it sends us broke. I don't know what the score is now with children's jabs but years ago you just had to front up to the local council chambers and they were done for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Yep. Became a political hot potato and the government has shelved the changes. I don't trust any Liberal or Conservative government to look after either the NHS or medicare. It's just not on their radar and they are more interested in milking as much as possible out of people who might be struggling to give their mates in big business a few more millions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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