AMA COUNCIL OF GENERAL PRACTICE (AMACGP) MEETS IN MELBOURNE, 12-13 JULY 2008
The AMACGP met over the weekend to discuss many of the important issues general practice is currently facing.
Observers from a number of stakeholders such as ACCRM, Rural Health Workforce Australia, the National Association for Medical Deputising, Australian General Practice Training, the General Practice Students Association and the General Practice Registrars Association joined the council on the Saturday to contribute to the discussions.
The main focus of the meeting was primary healthcare reform. The council discussed many ideas as part of the process of developing a blueprint for positioning the profession for the future and improving access to primary health care services for all Australians. Other important topics discussed were:
· the implications for primary health care of the 2008-09 Federal Budget.
· GP super clinics and how best to reinforce with Government that supporting existing general practices was the best way to achieve co-ordinated and quality primary care.
· the role of the National Health & Hospitals Reform Commission and what advice the AMA can provide with regard to ensuring a sustainable health care system for the future.
· GP MRI referrals.
· GP visits to residential aged care facilities.
· the recent confusion with Medicare Australia on Level C and D consults.
The AMACGP declared that it would like to see improved funding to support access to general practice services for residential aged care facilities and the full restoration of funding for a number of programs that were cut in the 2008-09 Federal Budget.
The AMA is liaising with the RACGP, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, the Australasian College of Sports Physicians and the Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons to develop a proposal to the Australian Government on granting MRI referral rights to GPs.
In a new initiative, the chairs of the AMA’s state and territory GP councils held their inaugural breakfast meeting to discuss what was happening in their respective states and territories.
DIABETES WEEK
The AMA’s Vice-President, Dr Gary Speck, this week encouraged patients with a family history of diabetes to visit their GP. He reminded patients that their GP can help determine their risk of diabetes, provide advice on how to minimise that risk, and help manage the disease should it develop. Click here for more information.
MEDICARE ONLINE
The AMA met with Medicare Australia (MA) recently to discuss its proposal to reduce red tape for practices using Medicare Online. MA have advised that from 1 July 2008, practices are no longer required to retain a copy of the assignment-of-benefit form for a period of two years, as specified in the contract. Where the assignment-of-benefit form is compliant with the guidelines issued by MA, the form will be considered approved. The form will no longer need to be approved formally by the CEO of Medicare Australia.
AGED CARE ACCESS INITIATIVE
Further to last week’s GP Network News article on the Aged Care Access Initiative, the Department of Health and Ageing has made available the program guidelines. The MBS items that count towards Quality Service Levels (SQLs) included attendances in RACFs, Comprehensive Medical Assessments, contributions to Care Plans, Case Conferences, and Residential Medication Management Reviews.