$300k Medicare savings Watt

Gold Coasters have saved more than $300,000 in the two months since Medicare subsidies tripled for GP appointments, new Department of Health data released on Thursday shows.

For the same time period, the city recorded 6000 extra bulk-billed GP appointments provided to residents.

“As time goes on, we would expect to see that number increase significantly across Queensland as a whole,” Senator Murray Watt said.

Nationally, bulk-billing rates increased two per cent since November last year following increases to Medicare subsidies for healthcare providers.

“It was the single biggest investment we’ve seen in Medicare by a federal government in decades,” he added.

“It’s fantastic to see finally, the trend of bulk billing rates actually starting to go upwards again.”

It comes as Australia marked 40 years of Medicare since it was introduced under the Bob Hawke Labor government.

However a new Productivity Commission report released on Thursday found the number of Australians choosing to delay GP appointments due to cost has doubled to seven per cent in 2022/23, despite more clinics offering bulk billing.

In Queensland, the proportion of people delaying GP appointments due to costs nearly tripled from 2.8 per cent in 2021/22 to 7.6 per cent.

Concerns have also been raised about increasing Medicare rebates for telehealth.

“We’re not pretending the job of strengthening Medicare is over,” Senator Watt said.

“The issue we’re trying to tackle is to make sure that more Australians and more Gold Coasters get bulk-billed appointments no matter where they live and whether that is telehealth or in person.”

“I don’t want to steal the thunder of Mark Butler, the health and aged care minister, and I’m sure that we will have more to say in the months ahead.”