The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the
Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, December 4, 2002.
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Bulk-billing central to Medicare
Increasingly patients visiting their local GP are being told, "sorry we
don't bulk-bill anymore, just can't afford to keep the practice open if
we do." Instead of signing a Medicare form for their doctor to receive a
rebate, they are being asked to pay out $35, $40, $45 or much more for
longer consultations and procedures. Then they often have the bother of
chasing up Medicare for a partial refund.
Doctors are being forced to charge fees because the Federal Government
has deliberately driven down rebate payments (in real terms) with the
purpose of destroying Medicare by stealth.
Bulk-billing with its no-fee, universal access for patients is central
to Medicare.
"The decline in bulk-billing rates is making things very tough for our
bulk-billing doctors and their patients and will have serious
repercussions if something isn't done very soon", said Dr Con Costa,
President of the Doctors' Reform Society of NSW.
"Doctors who continue to bulk-bill find their waiting rooms become more
crowded, and demands on their time and services increasing. House calls
and nursing home visits are becoming a luxury they can ill afford."
"We are all tired and fed up and, as more GPs stop bulk billing or
simply fall ill from overwork, the log jam is now affecting the Accident
and Emergency Services of all public hospitals."
"The sick and elderly are paying a high price for the Federal
Government's anti-Medicare, anti-bulk billing agenda, Dr Costa said.
"The numbers of bulk-billing doctors turning away patients and leaving
practice are no longer just declining - they're plummeting at an
absolutely staggering rate," New South Wales Health Minister Craig
Knowles Mr. Knowles said.
Nationally 3.4 million less GP services were bulk billed over the past
12 months.
There have been massive increases in less serious hospital presentations
from 1999/00 to 2001/02: Children's Hospital Westmead (24%); Northern
Rivers (21%); Mid West (19%); Greater Murray (14%); Mid North Coast
(14%); Northern Sydney (5%).
In 2001/2002, 15,831 people presented to NSW emergency departments for
medical certificates and repeat prescriptions.
In rural NSW there are at least 59 towns where bulk billing is not
available.
In these towns, people use emergency departments at a rate of about 60
percent more than towns that offer bulk billing.
The Doctors' Reform Society has called for the scrapping of the 30
percent private health insurance rebate which is costing the health care
system $2.8 billion (and rising) a year to subsidise a failed industry.
"This is public money and should be spent on Medicare and our ailing
public hospitals", said Dr Costa. J
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