Mark Butler says doctors look to have made a ‘significant return to bulk billing’ but patients should ‘vote with your feet’ if their clinic doesn’t
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The health minister, Mark Butler, has encouraged Australians to “ring around” doctors in their area and “vote with your feet” to find GPs offering bulk billing, as concerns continue over whether enough is being done to stop medical clinics winding back subsidised visits.
Butler said the government would soon release new data on bulk billing to examine whether extra incentives are sufficiently boosting subsidised medical visits. But the minister could not say whether more help would be extended to address large gap fees for mental health appointments, a barrier psychologists say is leading Australians into “rationing” treatment.
Continue reading…Mark Butler says doctors look to have made a ‘significant return to bulk billing’ but patients should ‘vote with your feet’ if their clinic doesn’tFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe health minister, Mark Butler, has encouraged Australians to “ring around” doctors in their area and “vote with your feet” to find GPs offering bulk billing, as concerns continue over whether enough is being done to stop medical clinics winding back subsidised visits.Butler said the government would soon release new data on bulk billing to examine whether extra incentives are sufficiently boosting subsidised medical visits. But the minister could not say whether more help would be extended to address large gap fees for mental health appointments, a barrier psychologists say is leading Australians into “rationing” treatment.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading…