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RACGP takes demand for rebate rise to Canberra
The RACGP spoke face-to-face with the nation’s leaders about the value of accessible healthcare, as 20 peak medical bodies join in the college’s biggest advocacy event of the year.
RACGP leaders gathered at Parliament House on Tuesday for the college’s flagship political advocacy event, GPs@Parliament.
GPs have descended on Canberra for the RACGP’s flagship advocacy event, GPs@Parliament, taking the college’s demand for an urgent rise in patient rebates straight to the doors of politicians.
At Parliament House, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country on Tuesday, the RACGP explained why better funding is needed for GPs to provide patients with more affordable care and more time for complex health conditions.
And the college was not alone – it stood alongside 20 peak medical bodies and advocacy groups, all backing the vital role of GPs and their importance within the healthcare system.
The cohort, which includes Parkinson’s Australia, the Stroke Foundation, Dementia Australia, and Diabetes Australia, delivered an open letter to Parliament, urging all federal politicians to improve access to care by publicly backing the RACGP’s ask.
As part of GPs@Parliament, which runs from 2–5 March, the RACGP is doubling down on its calls for a 40% increase to Medicare rebates for Level C and Level D consultations, as complex conditions rise and funding models have not kept pace.
With average GP appointment times reaching 20 minutes in 2025, RACGP President Dr Michael Wright says this funding is ‘well overdue’.
Dr Wright said he was proud to be joined by fellow medical bodies to amplify GPs’ voices to policymakers, and to discuss how vital affordable and accessible healthcare is to Australia.
‘We’re all here today calling for the Government to increase the patient Medicare rebates for long consultations,’ he said.
‘We know what happens if patients can’t access the specialist care they need from their GP – their health conditions get worse, they delay care, they’re more likely to suffer from complications, more likely to need to go to emergency departments or hospital. And that’s bad for their health, but also bad for the health budget.
‘So, we need to make some change to turn this around ... and we know the evidence for the value of these changes is clear.’
The RACGP was joined by 20 peak medical bodies to speak to media at Canberra’s Parliament House, as well as hosting meetings with politicians from all sides.
Acknowledging the Federal Government’s commitment to increasing funding for GP care, Dr Wright says not all long consultations can be bulk billed.
‘That’s why we’re calling for these increased patient rebates, so the patients who need more time with their GP may be bulk billed, but will also face reduced out-of-pocket costs.’
Independent MP and GP Dr Sophie Scamps welcomed the RACGP and other health representatives to the event, saying ‘we are lucky to have them here’.
‘General practice is the cornerstone of healthcare in our country, and for many decades ... it was utterly neglected,’ she said.
‘It’s been really good to see that GPs are coming to Parliament to advocate on behalf of this important profession, and also to make sure that we do have high-quality primary healthcare in Australia.
‘And today we’re fighting for something – the high-quality care for chronic and complex diseases and for prevention.’
The RACGP’s 2026–27 pre-Federal Budget submission, yet to be publicly released, also calls for funding reforms with a focus on:
- reducing patient out-of-pocket costs and increasing access, particularly for complex care
- establishing an independent pricing authority to determine Medicare rebates to ensure they reflect the true, rising cost of providing care.
As more than 15 million Australians live with a chronic health condition, Dr Wright says caring for these patients ‘takes time’, and funding reforms will support these vital relationships for GPs working across Australia, from metropolitan and regional cities, to rural and remote areas, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
‘People who have those conditions need more time with their GP to obtain the complex, high-quality care from a GP who knows them,’ he said.
‘Unfortunately, patients who need this care are often finding it unavailable… or unaffordable, because the per patient Medicare rebate decreases as consultations get longer.
‘As
more than two million Australians see a GP every week, we’re here today speaking up for them.’
The open letter to Parliament, published below, sets out why the effective management of complex and chronic conditions requires patients to spend more time with their GP, more often.
It calls for all federal politicians to improve access to this care by publicly backing the RACGP’s ask for a 40% increase to patient Medicare rebates for longer GP consultations.
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