General practice leaders have today welcomed progress made by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in putting forward an alternate model to the proposed $7 co-payment.
At a meeting held in Canberra, United General Practice Australia (UGPA) was pleased the alternate model places quality in general practice at its centre and supports the foundation principles of:
- No cuts to Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) patient rebates for general practice, pathology and imaging services
- The need to protect vulnerable patients, including children to ensure timely and clinically appropriate access to general practice services at no detriment to the general practitioner
- Improving the value patients place on general practice services, recognising it is reasonable for those with appropriate means to share in the costs of accessing general practice care.
The alternate model addresses many of the concerns raised by the general practice profession and consumer groups.
UGPA is calling on the government to proactively realign its focus for future policies with the general practice profession in valuing quality healthcare delivery and outcomes.
UGPA comprises the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN), General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA), General Practice Supervisors Australia (GPSA), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA).