Last Bulk Billing Doctor’s Surgery Gone

DESPITE $3.5BN FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT

By Rachael Smith

The last bulk billing doctor’s surgery in the Whitsundays changed its practices in May and will now only offer free medical services to certain patients, such as concession card holders.

This means that a high percentage of Whitsunday locals will need to pay around $75 for a standard appointment, with around $40 paid back into their bank account as a government rebate.

This means each trip to the GP costs, on average, $40.

The doctor’s surgery receives around $40 from the patient and $40 Medicare levy from the government.

Comparatively, when a doctor’s surgery bulk bills they receive just $40 from the government to fund all operations, from doctors and staff salaries to leasing the premises and purchasing equipment.

The Medicare rebate has been frozen since 2014 and with rising costs, this nominal figure has not been enough to keep the business viable.

Local Pharmacist, Allan Milostic, from Live Life Pharmacy said that he can understand the reasons we no longer have bulk billing surgeries in the Whitsundays.

“Medicare simply haven’t kept up with the increase in costs,” he explained.

“Over the last four years it has become financially unviable.

“I believe healthcare needs to be affordable to everyone and the government needs to ensure that this happens.”

Retired doctor, Peter Beaumont, who has been practicing for over 50 years, five of which were spent practicing in the Whitsunday area, said that he has seen a lot of change over the years and that this trend is not a recent one.

“It started a long time ago, it has not happened suddenly,” he said.

“I think the pandemic made doctors question whether it was all worth it.

“Doctors have been doing charity work for the government for years.”

“There are not enough GPs, especially in rural areas like this. In rural areas, they need to work really hard and with lots of responsibilities.

“Even the government incentive of $30,000 to relocate didn’t attract more doctors to the region – if you go to an area with a shortage, you work twice as hard.”

Dr Beaumont says that “private practice is a private business” and creating a better system is up to the medical industry and the government.

“It’s a shame that private health insurance can’t pay doctor consults,” he said.

“But I think that is perhaps because it would undermine Medicare.”

Dr Beaumont said he believes that, in many cases, it is now up to the ‘private’ patients to pay for the patients that are bulk billed.

“If you go to the supermarket, they don’t offer a discount – food is as important as health care.”

A small reprieve on the issue came with the 2023 budget announcement of a $3.5 billion incentive to bulk bill, effectively tripling the fee doctors receive from the government.

This incentive, however, is only available for children, pensioners and concession card holders and therefore leaves a high proportion of the population paying for their GP visits.

In the United Kingdom, 10 per cent of each person’s tax goes to the National Health Service (NHS), compared to just two per cent towards the Medicare levy here in Australia.

Perhaps an increased percentage of tax would be a better option for Australia.

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