RACGP – GPs forced to charge nursing home patients under co-payment model

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General practitioners will be forced to charge nursing home patients under the Government’s proposed co-payment model, highlighting yet another way the model will disadvantage Australia’s most vulnerable says the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Under the co-payment model, all Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) rebates for general practice consultations – including for surgery consultations, after-hours consultations, home visits and visits to aged-care homes – will be reduced by $5 and general practitioners will have the choice to absorb this reduced rebate themselves or ask patients to pay the $7 co-payment.

RACGP President, Dr Liz Marles said it is not feasible for general practitioners to collect money from patients in aged-care facilities or when they do a home visit.

“Many of these patients are cognitively impaired or are in a situation where their physical and/or mental state is potentially compromised.

“Providing general practice services benefits these patients by keeping them living within their communities for longer and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions,” said Dr Marles.

Since the announcement, the Government has faced intense scrutiny from the general practice profession and patients around the removal of a universally accessible healthcare system.

“The co-payment model reduces general practice funding significantly which has a flow-on effect to the health of patients who are socially or financially disadvantaged, including youth, homeless, those with mental health illness, and of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent.

“These are the hardest to reach patients in general practice. Instead of fostering a universally accessible healthcare system we now run the risk of them walking away completely if they are unable to pay the out-of-pocket fee,” said Dr Marles.

In an attempt to quash confusion surrounding the co-payment, Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton last week stressed general practitioners are free to continue to bulk-bill concession card holders and patients under the age of 16.

“In these circumstances, any general practitioner who decides not to impose the $7 co-payment will not be able to claim the bulk-billing incentive – now called the ‘Low Gap’ incentive – and faces an income drop of up to 25% for a standard consultation.

“The Government has abdicated its responsibility for the healthcare of the vulnerable in society.

“We are now faced with a system where healthcare comes at the expense to either the patient or the general practitioner,” said Dr Marles.

The RACGP understands that most patients will be in a position to make a contribution to the cost of their healthcare and believes general practitioners should be able to choose an appropriate fee for their service. However, the RACGP does not support the removal of universal healthcare, including a reduction in general practice rebates, increased red tape and mandatory non-means-tested co-payments.