Stupid health insurance !!!

[Roberta2]

When you say toe nail was it an in growing toe nail? If so the local GP's usually do this and bulk bill.

 

 

I don't know the per centage of GPs who bulk bill, but believe it to be less than 50%. It's quite capricious. I know people on high incomes who are bulk billed. On the other hand, my mother's long time GP would not accept even the Senior's Health Card ( a card meant for - among others- low income retirees who get no pension benefits.)

 

Presumably it depends on the practice management.

 

Some people are automatically bulk billed everywhere of course. e.g children under 12, pensioners, others on certain types of Centrelink benefits.

 

If you don't belong to any of these categories, and don't want to pay around $30 out of pocket expenses to see a GP, then you have to shop around to find a GP who will bulk bill. These seem to be thicker on the ground in the outer suburban areas than closer to the CBD.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I don't know the per centage of GPs who bulk bill, but believe it to be less than 50%. It's quite capricious. I know people on high incomes who are bulk billed. On the other hand, my mother's long time GP would not accept even the Senior's Health Card ( a card meant for - among others- low income retirees who get no pension benefits.)

 

Presumably it depends on the practice management.

 

Some people are automatically bulk billed everywhere of course. e.g children under 12, pensioners, others on certain types of Centrelink benefits.

 

If you don't belong to any of these categories, and don't want to pay around $30 out of pocket expenses to see a GP, then you have to shop around to find a GP who will bulk bill. These seem to be thicker on the ground in the outer suburban areas than closer to the CBD.

Brisbane must be totally different to up here and Melbourne which surprises me. I thought we were behind lol. We have a 24 hour bulk billing practise and then there are 8 others that bulk bill everyone that I know of, I bet there is more. All th drs up here bulk bill children under 16, pensioners and low income owners.

Melbourne we had a huge choice of bulk billing doctors where we lived.

My own GP doesn't bulk bill in his new practise but he does bulk bill me. At the end of the day it's down to the individual doctor, I think the more you go the more they look after you financially.

[Roberta2]

Brisbane must be totally different to up here and Melbourne which surprises me. I thought we were behind lol. We have a 24 hour bulk billing practise and then there are 8 others that bulk bill everyone that I know of, I bet there is more. All th drs up here bulk bill children under 16, pensioners and low income owners.

Melbourne we had a huge choice of bulk billing doctors where we lived.

My own GP doesn't bulk bill in his new practise but he does bulk bill me. At the end of the day it's down to the individual doctor, I think the more you go the more they look after you financially.

 

 

 

My mother has been going to the same GP for at least three decades, and obviously has never been bulk billed. I use the same doctor.

 

This is a suburban practice about 7 ks from the CBD. To see my doctor, I usually have to wait at least two weeks. (If it's urgent, they guarantee an appointment with another doctor.) The practice is accredited to train young doctors.

 

I continue to go there because this particular doctor picked up things with my father that his previous doctor had not seen.

 

Obviously, they are not short of "customers" even though they do not bulk bill anyone they don't have to.

 

Bulk billing, presumably, will become less common.

[Loopylu]

When you say toe nail was it an in growing toe nail? If so the local GP's usually do this and bulk bill.

 

My son had the GP treatment several times on his toe but the ingrowing toe nail kept coming back and he kept getting painful infections and so the next step was surgery to completely remove the offending nailbed under general anaesthetic. Waiting time on Medicare - 2 years so we went private as he was in a lot of pain and it was interfering with his ability to take part in sports and science at school (must have closed in shoes). I feel sorry for those kids whose parents can't afford private cover.