Yahoo Finance Medicare: Bulk-bill changes gives millions of Aussies free GP visits
The bulk-billing incentive will be tripled from November 1. Here’s who will benefit.
Millions of Aussies may soon find it easier to access free GP visits, under a major Medicare change first announced in the federal budget.
From November 1, the government will triple the bulk-billing incentive for doctors who bulk bill certain groups of Aussies.
The government hopes this will address the sharp drop in bulk-billing rates and incentivise GPs to provide free consultations to around 11.6 million Aussies, including children, pensioners and concession card holders. Bulk-billing numbers dropped to 80.2 per cent in the last financial year, the lowest in a decade.
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Here’s a rundown of the changes.
What is changing?
From November 1, the amount of money the government pays GPs if they choose to bulk bill vulnerable patients will triple.
The amount varies depending on location. In metropolitan areas, it will increase to $20.65 instead of $6.85 for a standard consultation. In very remote areas, it will rise to $39.65, instead of $13.15.
The incentives will cover many common GP consultations, including face-to-face consultations longer than six minutes, telehealth and video-conference consultations.
It’s important to note the bulk-billing incentive is not paid to you as a patient.
Who is eligible?
The change applies to families with children under 16 years, pensioners and Commonwealth concession card holders who are bulk billed.
There are around 5.1 million children under 16 who will be eligible, along with 7.9 million Commonwealth concession card holders.
What are the other Medicare changes?
The government has also rolled out MyMedicare this month, a new program that is designed to encourage an ongoing relationship between patients and their GP.
The scheme will also allow for longer telehealth calls, funded through the Medicare Benefits Scheme.
From October 1, all patients with a Medicare card or Veteran Card can register with their participating GP. They will need to have had at least two face-to-face appointments with their GP in the past two years.
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