The government will spend at least $750 million in the May budget to try and rescue the crumbling public hospital system
GPs will receive boosted rebates and there will be payments for working after hours, as part of a $750 million package in the May budget designed to rescue Medicare and take pressure on the crumbling public hospital system.
Bulk billing rates have fallen, and the out-of-pocket cost is, for the first time since Medicare was conceived 40 years ago, higher than the rebate, Mr Butler said.He said fewer than 14 per cent medical graduates were choosing to become GPs. The $750 million already set aside to help fix Medicare will be fully spent in the May budget, and more if savings elsewhere could be found.
It recommended “blended funding models” to provide multi-disciplinary care to patients, better continuity of care and for the development of new funding models for sustainable rural and remote practice and for an overhaul of the My Health Record website, and for more information to be made available to individuals and their doctors.
Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson welcomed the report but warned Labor that the primary care system faced urgent challenges. Royal Australasian College of Physicians president Jacqueline Small said the specialist care services flagged in the report were insufficient.
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