The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to invest savings back into Medicare but has called for increased transparency as to where reinvestment has occurred.
Today’s Mid-Year Economic Forecast and Outlook papers report net savings of $409.0 million arising from the implementation of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce recommendations, including changes to the urgent after-hours MBS item numbers.
RACGP President Dr Bastian Seidel said reinvestment in Medicare must be directed towards preventive and community healthcare.
“It makes sense that our government invests in preventive medical care delivered by Australian specialist GPs, to avoid further overcrowding in the expensive hospital system,” Dr Seidel said.
“General practice is the most cost-effective part of our healthcare system, so it is in the best interest of all Australians that our government reinvest a substantial portion of its forward estimates savings in this area.
“GPs and their healthcare teams provide over 150 million patient services at a fraction of the cost of the far more expensive, overcrowded hospital system.”
Dr Seidel said he would like to see the government show its commitment to general practice by increasing the Medicare rebate for longer consultations.
“Patients want to spend more time with their GP,” Dr Seidel said.
“The Federal Government can really make a difference to the quality of care GPs are able to provide Australians, by increasing this rebate.
“Every minute we spend with our patients allows us to obtain more information about their life, concerns, fears and expectations.”