Summary
Date: 24 August 2020
Due to the delayed federal budget, the RACGP has taken the opportunity to provide an updated pre-budget submission for 2020-21.
The update letter recommends that:
- Funding for the deferred voluntary patient enrolment (VPE) program is retained and reinvested into general practice
- Telehealth GP item numbers are extended, with bulk-billing requirements removed
- VPE be extended to all patients with chronic and complex care needs
- Invest in longer GP consultation MBS items
- Invest in longer GP mental health MBS items
- Lower the fall in turnover threshold from 30% to 15% for general practices to access JobKeeper
- Support implementation of the RACGP’s Vision
- Address disparities in remuneration between GPs in training and hospital-based trainees, and fully fund the National Rural Generalist Pathway