Australia’s peak body for general practitioners is calling for the Government to make it easier for people under 35 to visit a GP for free.
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has laid out its election wish list for the major parties. It includes 19 areas to expand access to GPs across the country.
The RACGP pointed to recent data showing those aged 25 to 34-years-old are the most likely age group to avoid seeing a doctor due to cost.
It’s suggested paying doctors more for bulk-billing anyone under 35.
Bulk billing
Medicare is Australia’s taxpayer-funded national health insurance scheme.
When a GP bulk bills a patient, they receive a payment from Medicare.
The GP can choose to charge a patient on top of the Medicare subsidy, which is called an “out of pocket” cost.
Some doctors don’t bulk bill and charge directly.
Incentive
In 2023, the Government increased payments to GPs for bulk-billing patients who were under 16 or held a concession card.
The change came after a decline in bulk billing rates in the 2022/23 financial year.
According to Government data, 80% of GP services were bulk billed in 2022/23, down from nearly 90% the year before.
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GP pitch
The next federal election must be held by 17 May. In the lead-up, the RACGP has laid out 19 ways to increase affordable access to healthcare.
One of the key proposals is to extend the incentive payments for people up to (not including) the age of 35.
That means Medicare would pay GPs more for bulk billing appointments for those under 35.
Speaking to TDA, RACGP President Dr Michael Wright pointed to Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing 25 to 34-year-olds were the most likely to delay seeing a doctor due to cost in 2023/24.
“People should not be having to put off essential general practice care to put food on their table or to fill their car with petrol,” Dr Wright told TDA.
He said GPs are the “front door” to Australia’s healthcare system, which he said is high quality “by international standards”.
“But there are gaps to access that need to be improved,” Wright said.
Response
Speaking to media on Tuesday, Health Minister Mark Butler did not rule out incentives targeted at helping more people under 35 access a GP.
“We’ll have a lot more to say between now and the election,” he said.
The Government also released its own data showing an increase in bulk billing across all states and territories.
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston told TDA said the Coalition is “really concerned” about the number of people avoiding seeing a GP due to cost.
