The following is that you can afford to take care of your health. Pressure To many Australians. And the GPS encourages bulk legislation is one step that the government takes to relieve tension.
So what do GPS need to claim all? In us Recent papersWe calculated that this is possible and inexpensive when considering the current health budget.
But we show that incentives for bulk bills in the recent GPS are not enough to bring us.
Instead, we need to adjust the health policy to increase the bulk billing ratio and make the health system more sustainable.
How does incentives work?
In recent years, the government has introduced various incentives to encourage GPS to mass bills (patients do not pay their copayment).
Most recently “Triple bulk billing incentive“Triple Bonus” has been in place since November 2023.
In accordance with these incentives, GPS in the metropolitan area pays $ 20.65 bonuses for large quantities of bills or children under 16 years of age. GPS in rural and remote areas will be paid for $ 31.35- $ 39.65. This bonus payment is added to the general Medicare Rebates GPS.
But when we looked at whether these latest incentives are likely to try to increase mass claims, we found urban national division.
Rosemary Nelly/Shutter Stock
City GPS may not be sure
We will not help with the triple bonus for most people in the metropolitan area.
In this area, the bonus is much lower than the current patient pays himself. In other words, if the GPS has been charged a large quantity of this group, income is lower than that you can claim. Therefore, bonuses are not enough incentives for mass bills.
For example, I found the average cost of the BLK Volk Billing GP in the Greater Melbourne. approximately Depending on the suburbs, this is much higher than the $ 20.65 triple bonus in the metropolitan area. We see similar patterns in all large cities.
But the national GP can shake
The picture is different in the countryside and other areas. Here, the average cost of the BP charged GP It is substantially diverse -In rural areas, about $ 28-52, $ 32-123 in remote areas. The highest cost in the mainland was $ 79, but the GP visit to Sir Howe Island is the most expensive at $ 123.
Incentives are helpful for patients living in areas where payments are less than the bonus amount. In other words, GPS is financially advantageous to claim large quantities of patients, but the cost of coping is not higher than the bonus.
Ours Online map The GPS shows the biggest position. The map below shows how the cost of coping changes in Australia.
How about a mass claim for everyone?
The picture is a bit more complicated when you start talking about mass claims on all GP visits, regardless of location or concession card.
This will take this for all GP services for about $ 950 million per year or $ 700 million per year for face -to -face GP consultation.
This reaches the current budget, especially in the face -to -face GP consultation.
The government was assigned $ 3.5 billion ~ Above 5 years “Triple Bonus” incentive. It is $ 700 million annually.
Robyn Mackenzie/SHUTTERSTOCK
We can afford it, but should we do it?
To introduce a free GP visit for everyone, we recommend more GP visits, so we need to consider carefully.
Especially if people have skipped beneficial treatment before, this is a good thing. Due to high cost. But more people can encourage them to see themselves Unnecessarily GPIn fact, it takes away limited resources from those who need it. This ultimately can increase everyone’s waiting time.
Therefore, even if you are in the budget, providing free GP visits to everyone may not be efficient or sustainable.
But like many people, paying more than $ 50 to a GP visitor looks too expensive and makes the health care system less efficient.
Because it is primary care Often consideration High value added and prevention treatment. Therefore, if people can’t afford to go to the GP, the track can be carried out due to more expensive hospitals and emergency room costs.
So we must balance the primary care more cheaper. and Sustainable.
How do we balance?
One concession card holder and child must receive free primary care regardless of the residential area. This will allow more fair treatment to the population that requires the most health care. Mass of the bull children are A Long -term investmentThis delayed the development of the disease and may be poorly poverty and health.
Second, the government can provide free primary care for everyone in rural and secluded areas. You can do this by lowering the triple bonus to match the current claim. Over time, GPS and government can evaluate it. negotiation A fair price claimed by GPS. This can be adjusted according to inflation and other measures.
Third, the government can increase the Medicare Rebates (the amount paid to a doctor for a GP visit), so the above patient pays about $ 20-3 million per visit. We think that this is a cheap amount that does not use the primary care more than necessary.
Fourth, the government can design a policy to reduce unnecessary GP visits. For example, patients already have experts on ongoing chronic diseases, but they need to see GPS to obtain a doctor.
5, the government can provide GPS funds for GPS rewards that improve and provide patients’ results. High quality prevention treatment. Currently, the service fee financing model is a good doctor who will keep the patient healthy because the doctor will not be paid unless the patient returns.
