Sunday, 23rd February 2025
We know that the federal election is close. We know that the Albanese government has a large war chest ready to roll out more money to win the next election. I recall soon after the last election, Mark Butler, the Health Minister, convened an urgent a meeting with all the stakeholders in healthcare because general practice was in trouble. We will be 30% short of GPs in the next 3-5 years. GP practices were and still are closing down at unprecedented rates. In southwest Sydney, 1-3 practices close down every month because they just can’t survive with the current rebates. Many of my GP colleagues are retiring in their early 60s. Many of them are very good and experienced GPs and with retirement, we are losing all the knowledge and expertise they have accumulated over decades of practice. Who is going teach the next generation of GPs coming on board? The community is worse off.
“General practice is hurting” and “General practice is in trouble” were the main messages from Mark Butler before and after the round table meeting with the cast of thousands. It was supposed to be an urgent matter that needs to be solved but took another 12 months before he announced a “triple incentive” if GP bulkbilled the patient and it was only applicable for patients under 16 years old or on a healthcare or pension card. That means your GP will get an additional $20 if he or she bulk bills the eligible patient. Wow! We thought. After 12 months, that was supposed to save general practice from the demise we see in front of us? Since then, more and more practices have abandoned universal bulk billing. They gave up waiting. That wasn’t designed to save general practice but a political decision to prevent more GPs from abandoning universal bulkbilling.
There are often announcements that claims that 70% of consultations are still bulkbilled and since the “triple incentive”. The real number in southwest Sydney is that no more than 50% GPs are still universally bulkbilling patients. Most are selective in who they can afford to bulkbill.
So, with the new announcement from the Prime Minister in Launceston that he will be spending $8.5b to boost Medicare. Really, what does this do for general practice? As the “average” out of pocket cost of a standard GP consult is now $46 and the triple incentive is only worth $21, how GP are prepared to accept that reduction in pay. We are already struggling like any business in Australia for the last many years especially the last 2 with the giant increase in the cost of living crisis. Labor’s plan is said to “reduce the fees for working adults will raise the stakes in an election contest over healthcare and the cost of living”. I can’t see many GPs buying the deception.
I write this post because many of you may not be aware of what this $8.5b is meant to actually do. It is meant to be an election statement but does not do anything for general practice. Your GP is struggling to make ends meet. Our business expenses have gone up like everyone else – workers comp insurance, general insurance, electricity, fuel, professional insurance, staff wages etc have all gone through the roof. The rebates have barely kept up. Out of a Medicare rebate of ~$40 for a normal consult, last year’s rebate was increased by 60 cents! Now a triple incentive of $20 that falls far short of the average of $46 out of pocket expenses.
I thought Mark Butler admitted 3 years ago that general practice is hurting and dying. Is this all he can do? Or is it just another political decision to look like the Labor government is doing something grand for Medicare. It will not stop GP practices from closing or GPs from leaving the profession. It will not halt the decline in the complex work that GPs do to improve the health of the community.
I am very sad that this is happening to general practice. $8.5b will do not a single thing to assist general practice get back on its feet to serve the Australian community. Minister Butler, you told us GPs three years ago that you hear us. You knew general practice was hurting and you will do something to help us. Most of us have given up. History will judge you for abandoning general practice to the detriment of the health of generations to come.