Medicare data reveals bulk-billing rates have flatlined

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Bulk-billing rates have not improved in the past year and out of pocket costs have tipped over 50 dollars for the first time despite billions being poured into the Medicare scheme. The government is defending its tripling of the incentive to bulk-bill but some heath experts warn investments made won't improve quality of care.

Transcript

00:00Over and over again ahead of the election.

00:07One card covers it all.

00:09The Prime Minister declared Australians only need one thing to access healthcare, a Medicare card.

00:15But new health department figures for September show the number of people seeing a doctor for free has flatlined.

00:22We just want the patients to adequately be rebated so they can come to their GP when they need to.

00:28Bulk billing rates are at 77.6%, the same as a year ago and well below pre-COVID levels.

00:35The number of GP consults has fallen by about 10,000 a day and average out-of-pocket costs have tipped over $50 for the first time.

00:44The Prime Minister quite clearly lied not just to us but to every Australian during the election campaign.

00:49Our government has made a record investment in Medicare.

00:54This was after a decade of absolute neglect.

00:58That investment includes $3.5 billion in 2023 to triple the bulk billing incentive for doctors seeing children and concession card holders.

01:08And this month a $7.9 billion election commitment to lift bulk billing rates to about 90% this decade began to roll out.

01:17We want fair remuneration so the rebates match what it costs to run a practice.

01:22The new scheme has just begun so it isn't reflected in the latest Medicare data.

01:27And the government says more than 1,000 clinics have already indicated they'll become fully bulk billed.

01:34But the opposition's applying pressure amid concerns people who can't afford to see their doctor will turn to already overburdened hospitals.

01:42Health officials have warned the benefits from government investments might not be seen for several years.

01:49Health officials have already.

01:50Health officials have already answered that question, and if you're not reading the proof that they would have benefited from,

01:51will try to be clear to them?

01:54What does the benefit of what they cannot afford to do to do?

01:55The programme is not possible, so the amount of information to do.

01:56It has beenordinary funding, including the medical�ast and the lemnary fund,

01:57the UN GRANT you, so the application or CSUNO.

01:58The programme is not possible.

01:59We'll try to apply to the NHS.

02:00The programme is not possible if there will be a benefit.

02:01It has not possible that the Chinese government will be a benefit.

02:02It has not been quoted from the NHS.

02:04The programme is not possible that you can follow up on a page of 1 Inn,

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