Following extensive consultation and dialogue with its membership, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has strengthened its position on the Government’s revised co-payment model announced last week and is calling for an immediate halt to any measure that jeopardises general practice services.
The RACGP is astounded and disappointed that the Government has targeted general practice in its pursuit to ‘save’ the health dollar by proposing a model that will equate to higher out-of-pocket costs for everyday Australians.
The RACGP is Australia’s peak body for general practice, representing over 28,500 GPs working in or towards a career in general practice.
Under the newly revised model, the Government has proposed a $5 cut in the GP patient rebate, a freeze to rebates until 2018 and an introduction of time-based changes to Level A consultations from 16 January 2015.
The RACGP labels these proposals as unacceptable.
The RACGP is calling on the Government to urgently reassess the proposals and secure a moratorium until there is a structured review of all time and content based consultation item numbers to ensure the long term sustainability of general practice patient services.
RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones said if a price signal is required for Medicare, there should be a price signal for all patient services – not just those delivered in general practice.
“At its very core, the $5 reduction in patient rebates is an actual cut in the subsidy the Government provides to patients and will result in higher out-of-pocket costs,” said Dr Jones.
“The introduction of a time based change to Level A consultations will have an immediate negative effect on how the majority of GPs practice, with an adverse flow on to practice infrastructure and the ability to provide quality patient services.
“If the proposed changes are implemented, GPs will be forced to charge gap payments that go above the ‘optional $5 co-payment’ proposed by the Government for all consultations in order to continue to provide quality care.
“General practice cannot withstand a freeze on patient rebates until 2018. The only way many practices that operate under a small business model will be able to survive is by asking patients to contribute more.
“Evidence overwhelmingly attests GPs as the most cost effective healthcare providers in the Australian system, yet the profession is continually and unreasonably targeted by Government.
“To achieve long-term quality health outcomes for every Australian, general practice must be appropriately resourced to deliver superior healthcare, something the revised co-payment model completely undercuts and negates.
“The concern is that by devaluing general practice patient services, future GPs will be less likely to choose a career in general practice and this will impact the entire Australian community.”
The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) report shows less than 10% of general practice consultations are 6 minutes or less.
“If the Government is serious about addressing ‘6 minute medicine’ it should target the small minority of GPs practising ‘throughput medicine’ – rather than making a poor broad-brushed decision that affects all GPs,” said Dr Jones.
“An investment in longer consultations is required to support quality general practice services.
“The failure to properly index patient rebates for many years is a big part of the issues currently facing our healthcare system,” said Dr Jones.
The RACGP remains committed to negotiating an outcome with Government that best supports the delivery of general practice patient services and implores the Government to consider policy changes that are informed by constructive input from general practice.