Regional centres see biggest drop in bulk billing
AMA GP Campaign members have been urged to write to their local MPs and local media to highlight the inadequacy of patient rebates for GP visits and the impacts on bulk billing. AMA analysis of latest GP bulk billing rates shows regional centres have experienced the biggest drop in bulk billing in the past three years. Bulk billing has dropped an average eight per cent in provincial Federal electorates to a rate of 68.5 per cent in March 2002. In rural electorates, the decline in the past three years has been slower (at an average rate of two per cent), however rural and semi-rural electorates still have the lowest overall rates of bulk billing in Australia, at around 60 per cent. Individual electorates which have seen the largest drops in bulk billing include Shortland (21 per cent), Dobell (18 per cent), Herbert (16 per cent) and Corangamite (16 per cent). "Our patients need to know that GPs are in there fighting to increase their rebates and make it easier for them to pay for quality medical treatment. But with the impact of medical indemnity, we cannot hold the line any longer. It's increasingly difficult to justify bulk billing when the rebates are so poor," an AMA member said.
Proving longer consultations improve quality of care
AMA representatives attended the 2nd meeting of the GP Attendance Item Restructure Working group on Wednesday of this week. The issues are complex. Essentially, however, the major factors which influence the consultation rate are quality and intensity (stress, skills, acuteness, 'sweat factor'). While there appears to be little doubt that higher fees per minute are associated with a greater number of consultations, there is no hard evidence that longer consultations improve quality of care. Intuitively, GPs believe the intensity of a consultation peaks at around 10-15 minutes, however, intensity is difficult to quantify. The AMA argued that non-face-to-face time is also an integral factor in consultation rates and that the current indexation method (WCI5) is inappropriate and not related to costs in the medical industry.
Red tape review
Individual GPs are being asked for their input into the Productivity Commission's red tape inquiry into general practice. The AMA is compiling its own comprehensive submission which will support research showing that one third of practising GPs spend more than seven hours every week fighting their way through red tape. For further information on the inquiry, please take a look at an issues paper released by the Commission (available from the Commission's website at :http://www.pc.gov.au/research/studies/gpcompliance/issuespaper/issuespaper.pdf. Submissions are required by 30 August 2002. For further information contact Kate Pearson on 03 9653 2209, email:kpearson@pc.gov.au
New submission to ACCC on GPs agreeing on fees
The AMA will join the RACGP and the RDAA in preparing a new submission to the ACCC over GPs in associateships agreeing on fees. Working in unison, GP groups objected to certain conditions in a draft determination by the ACCC at a conference last Monday in Canberra. The ACCC has now requested a further submission. The AMA believes many of the conditions being proposed in the draft determination are onerous and serve no practical purpose.
Your Federal AMA General Practice and eHealth Team is Prue Power (Director), Frank Quinlan, Julia Nesbitt, Jessica Rynehart, Sarah Bucknell and Bethany Chadwick