Geelong loses more exclusively bulk-billing GPs as doctors work to ‘keep the doors open’

Geelong is losing more solely bulk-billing clinics with subsidies for every patient no longer viable amid growing cost-of-living pressures. SEE THE MAP.

GP Bernard Shiu says the priority is to keep clinics open, which means finding a balance of bulk billing and mixed fees for patients. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

A Geelong doctor says patients are the ones who suffer as the shortfall on the Medicare rebate means general practice clinics have to juggle expenses to keep their doors open.

There are fewer the 20 GP clinics in the Geelong region that exclusively bulk-bill patients, falling by 15 per cent in two years.

Banksia Medical Centre owner and GP Bernard Shiu said doctors understood that without bulk-billing some patients would miss out on health care.

”Some of those patients can’t even put food on the table so with good hearts we will bulk-bill them but we cannot do that for every patient,” he said.

“For every patient we bulk-bill we are out of our pocket subsidising for the patient’s health care.

“According to an AMA independent study GPs should be charging $90 to $95 per consultation but the rebate is only about $42, so as GPs we have to pay $50 each time.”

Dr Shiu said one way to balance this was to cut a standard 15-minute consult in half.

“Some hope by seeing more patients they can compensate for the shortfall but at the end of the day the patient will suffer because they will feel rushed.

“We just want to keep the doors open and we don’t want to cut time with patients.”

Dr Shiu said it was about 10 times more expensive for ratepayers when people visited the emergency department at Geelong hospital than when they saw a GP, but GPs helped prevent the need for people to attend the ED.

Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said the government was committed to making it easier for people to see a bulk-billing doctor.

“The seven months of data shows that is exactly what is happening right around the country, particularly in rural and regional Australia,” he said.

“Since the Albanese Government tripled the bulk-billing incentive on November 1, the bulk-billing rate in Corio has increased 4.8 per cent from 70.2 per cent to 75 per cent.

“The increase in bulk-billing is across all states and territories, including in the Geelong region, with GP clinics around the country making the shift back to bulk-billing.”

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victoria chair Anita Muñoz said Medicare was no longer fit for purpose.

“The amount of money that is provided for the consultation fees via bulk-billing does not generate enough to cover the cost of running a practice,” she said.

“So if practices exclusively bulk-bill they close.”

Dr Muñoz said industry-wide funding reform was necessary as general practice only received about 7 per cent of the health budget.

“We have said for decades the way to reduce overall health spend is by investing in community and primary care,” she said.

Western Victorian Public Health Network chief executive Craig Wilding said there could be multiple pressures or challenges for people accessing primary health care.

“Generally, there are fewer bulk-billing practices, immediate or urgent appointments to see a GP can be challenging and, at times, a visit to the GP can be costly,” he said.

“However, there are a range of free or low-cost health care options that are available to the

community.”

Originally published as Geelong loses more exclusively bulk-billing GPs as doctors work to ‘keep the doors open’