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Rebate increase welcome, but not enough: RACGP
A $187 million increase to Medicare rebates comes into effect this week, but the RACGP argues it does not fully address long-term underfunding of general practice.
The ending of the Medicare freeze is welcome, but more funding is needed to fully address funding gaps in general practice.
The Federal Government’s planned increase to Medicare rebates came into effect on 1 July.
‘The Government is providing $187 million to increase patient rebates for 176 GP service items on the Medicare Benefit Schedule [MBS],’ Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
‘These services include health assessments, chronic disease management plans, and mental health services provided by GPs.’
Rebates for general practice services provided through MBS will increase by 1.6%. While the re-indexation of some general practice services was not originally intended to occur for another year, the Government decided to include all of them in this year’s budget.
Minister Hunt was keen to again highlight bulk-billing rates, which he said have hit a record level of 86%.
‘This means that almost nine in 10 general practice services under Medicare were bulk billed at no cost to the patient,’ he said.
However, RACGP President Dr Harry Nespolon contends that the freeze on indexation has lost general practice much more than the government’s $187 million spend, which is to be spread out over four years.
‘General practice has lost almost $1 billion as a result of the Medicare freeze, and despite indexation GPs are collectively falling behind by $40 million a year, every year,’ he told newsGP.
‘This is costing patients, who often have to make up the shortfall out of their own pockets. And it is also costing GPs, who sometimes find themselves having to absorb rising costs in the interests of providing quality patient care.
‘This situation is not sustainable, particularly as rates of chronic disease continue to rise, and at the end of the day, it is our population’s health that suffers.
‘It is becoming more and more important to recognise the true value of general practice.’
The RACGP continues to call for a better, regularly applied measure of indexation to more accurately reflect the increasing cost of quality healthcare.
Dr Nespolon also points out that investing in general practice ultimately saves money.
‘Hospital and tertiary care are of course a vital part of our health system, but they are expensive,’ he said.
‘Comprehensive care from GPs can prevent many patients from needing that acute, tertiary care in the first place, and it can do it at less cost.’
The increased rebates for general practice MBS items to take effect from 1 July include:
| Provider type |
Description |
Item |
| GP |
Attendance less than 20 minutes |
00023 |
| GP |
Attendance 20–40 minutes |
00036 |
| GP |
Attendance to prepare GP management plan |
00721 |
| GP |
After hours attendance less than 20 minutes |
05020 |
| GP |
Attendance to coordinate team care arrangements |
00723 |
| GP |
Attendance to review GP management plan or team care arrangements |
00732 |
| GP |
Attendance lasting at least 40 minutes |
00044 |
| GP |
Residential aged care facility call out fee |
90035 |
| GP (bulk billing) |
Regional, rural and remote bulk billing incentive, for a patient under 16 or a Commonwealth concession card holder |
10991 |
| GP (bulk billing) |
Bulk billing incentive, for a patient under 16 or Commonwealth concession card holder |
10990 |
item numbers MBS Medicare Benefits Schedule Medicare freeze
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