ALP bulk billing plan unworkable
The AMA has rejected as "unworkable" the ALP’s plan to restore bulk billing that was unveiled by Shadow Health Minister Stephen Smith yesterday. The plan will not work because it reduces quality of care and produces regionally based inequities in levels of service accessibility and affordability. It advocates: 1) Direct grants for bulk billing practices on a regional basis. This idea fails to take into account demographic differences within a region and will create boundary issues. It is also in direct opposition to the ALP’s premise they are restoring universality. 2) Income support for bulk billing practices, which will lead to more red tape for GPs already over burdened with paperwork. 3) Direct funding of bulk billing clinics including Government salaries for doctors. This has the potential to create greater inefficiencies than fee-for-service. 4) Rewarding practices that guarantee access to a bulk billing doctor. The bulk billing doctor will be under pressure to see as many patients as possible. This will mean the disadvantaged in the community will be denied quality care. It will be a nightmare for streaming patients within practices. AMA President Dr Kerryn Phelps said the proposals "provide more hurdles for GPs and would lead to a two-tiered system with divisions within individual practices," she said. "While purporting to support universality, he is proposing a non-universal regionally-based system. Mr Smith needs to consult the profession. He cannot hope to develop a visionary health policy while wearing blinkers." Mr Smith indicated Labor is also looking at increasing the Medicare levy to raise funding for health. Dr Phelps said: "We do, however, support his call for an increase in the Medicare levy to contribute to covering shortfalls in the health budget. The AMA believes Australia needs an effective safety net system and will be putting forward some policy proposals in this regard over the next couple of months.
Indemnity reforms need surgery
The AMA has warned that the Federal Government’s proposed medical indemnity reforms will reduce services and increase patient costs. AMA President Dr Kerryn Phelps said the legislation, which is due for introduction next week, is a mess and will force doctors to continue to pay for insurance after they retire and leaves them exposed to claims above $15m. "There may well be a reduction in services, particularly in the high risk procedural areas, and the second thing is that [patients] will have to pay more for those services when they can find them," Dr Phelps said. The AMA has been holding urgent meetings with the Government to solve these problems.
Better deal for GP trainees
The AMA has successfully brokered a new agreement on terms between GP supervisors and registrars. The agreement sets new national minimum terms and conditions of employment. There will be catch-up pay increases of 11 per cent, clarification of on-call and rostering arrangements, and moves towards a registrar safety and security clause. The new agreement comes into effect on 1 March 2003. The new minimum salaries are $56,232 per annum for basic training terms, and $70,889 for advanced terms - or 45% of gross billings, whichever is the greater. The agreement is being circulated to all consortia.
AMACGP Chair at Rural Conference
AMA Council of General Practice Chair Dr David Rivett is attending the 7th National Rural Health Conference in Hobart from 1-4 March. The Conference’s aims include bringing a "whole of life" approach to improving health and learning from successful programs and past mistakes in health delivery to regional and rural Australia.