Falling bulk billing rates a ‘sign of things to come’, RACGP warns To avoid patients missing out on care, the college is calling for urgent action, with a funding boost for general practice top of the agenda.
Corporate clinics report ‘remarkable’ shift away from bulk billing As few as six in 10 patients are receiving free healthcare at Australia’s largest general practice providers, the latest figures suggest.
Out-of-pocket costs leaving chronically ill vulnerable: Report Australian patients are paying more for healthcare than many other comparable countries, new analysis suggests. Changes have been floated, but what would they mean for general practice?
Is mixed billing the answer to business sustainability? Government funding for general practice has failed to keep up with the real costs of running a small business. So what options do GPs have?
‘Scary’ co-op failure sets off ‘alarm bells’ for general practice GPs are calling for widespread primary care funding reform after a not-for-profit bulk-billing co-operative servicing 30,000 patients went into voluntary administration.
Should bulk-billing rates be used as a measure of healthcare success? While ‘more Australians than ever’ are accessing healthcare at no cost to themselves, GPs argue record bulk-billing rates ignore the threat posed by burnout and ever-increasing business costs.
Should patients determine their own gap fee? New research suggests a ‘patient-chosen gap payment’ model could potentially generate almost $1.5 billion in revenue for general practice.
Telehealth pushes bulk-billing to record levels But, average out-of-pocket costs for patients continue to increase.
‘We don’t want to be bulk-billing clinics’ As many independently owned clinics report financial strain amid the COVID-19 pandemic, GPs have expressed fears for the viability of their practices.
Government loosens telehealth billing restrictions GPs are now able to apply their usual billing practices to telehealth items for a wide range of patients.