Questions, answers, and embracing change

Medicare funding reforms, a newly elected Federal Government and changes to chronic disease management took centre stage at the RACGP’s 2025 Practice Owners Conference over the weekend.
 
The keynote address, ‘From ballot box to consulting room: What the election means for general practice’ was initially framed as a discussion on the implications of Medicare reforms pledged by the Federal Government and the implications for general practice.
 
However, following the announcement two days prior on incoming changes to Medicare chronic disease management (CDM) items, that also became a hot topic.
 
The panel discussion included RACGP leaders, President Dr Michael Wright, Vice President Dr Ramya Raman, and former Vice President Dr Bruce Willett, as well as Cubiko founder Chris Smeed.
 
Dr Wright welcomed the Government’s commitment to increase the GP workforce and remove barriers preventing doctors from entering general practice.
 
‘It’s saying “we recognise that when people leave hospital and go into GP training that they lose money, they lose entitlements, and that’s not right”,’ he told the crowd.
 
‘Removing those barriers is important for the future growth of our profession.’
 
But he said the Federal Government’s $8.5 billion expansion of bulk-billing incentives to non-concession card holders is also going to make ‘a big difference’.
 
‘I recognise what impact that will have in increasing financial income into the practice,’ he said.
 
Dr Willett said that while these changes will be ‘a big win’ for some practices, including some in rural or low socioeconomic areas, he lamented that support for longer consultations for complex care had missed out.
 
He said universal bulk billing could prove ‘more challenging and divisive’ for many practices. 
 
Dr Willett said it is now important for practice owners to get on the front foot in having ‘prolonged conversations’ with their practice staff about the changes, ahead of a planned Government advertising campaign mentioned in an earlier session that day.
 
Dr Wright added that it is important for practice owners to ‘bring practice teams along with us’.
 
‘There’s a real opportunity to say “there are opportunities if you do things differently, particularly with chronic disease item numbers”,’ he said.
 
‘It looks simpler … there’s now potential for that to improve.’
 

L–R, Chris Smeed, Dr Michael Wright, Dr Bruce Willett and Dr Ramya Raman discuss the impacts of the Medicare changes. (Image: Jake Pinskier)

Dr Wright helmed an additional session on changes to CDM – added to the Sunday program in response to the announcement during the week – before closing the conference later that day.
 
He thanked attendees for coming along ‘to share, to listen and to learn’.
 
‘It was amazing to have a room of so many experienced practice owners, and a lot of new and even prospective practice owners in the room, talking about the future of general practice,’ he said.
 
‘Most importantly, we’ve heard from practice owners who aren’t only running clinics, but are shaping the future of primary care around this country.’
 
Also on the Sunday agenda was an address by high-profile health economist Dr Stephen Duckett, speaking about what challenges and transformations could be on the way for general practice.
 
‘One of the things that I took from it was the particular challenge from Stephen Duckett that the way we are doing things does need to change,’ Dr Wright told newsGP, reflecting on the conference.
 
‘Patients are finding it more difficult to access our care, and more and more patients are delaying care because of cost, and I think he clearly outlined that. 
 
‘But overall, it was amazing to have a room of so many experienced practice owners, and a lot of new and even prospective practice owners, talking about the future of general practice.’
 
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bulk billing CDM chronic disease management conference Medicare POC25 practice owners registrars