IN WHAT has now turned into a case of the blame game, Member for Mallee Anne Webster has hit back at claims made by the federal Health and Aged Care Minister about who is at fault for the closure of regional GP clinics.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler told The Guardian last week that he believed it was the actions of the former government that had created a healthcare mess for Labor to clean up, claiming that the 2023-24 federal budget delivered a $6.1 billion investment to strengthen Medicare, including $3.5 million in bulk billing incentives.
“The former government ripped billions of dollars out of primary care and caused gap fees to skyrocket – no wonder young doctors are walking away from general practice in droves,” Mr Butler said.
“Our historic investments in Medicare will triple the bulk billing incentive – the largest increase to the incentive in the 40-year history of Medicare.”
Dr Webster has refuted the federal minister’s claims.
“These incentives, while a good headline, do not make a difference for many in regional Australia who cannot access a GP thanks in no small part to Labor’s DPA changes, which continue to bleed the regions of doctors,” Dr Webster said.
“Also, while the minister likes to talk about the former government, under the Coalition the bulk billing rate was at an all-time high of 88.8 per cent in the 12 months to June 2021.
“Since Labor came into government, bulk billing rates have been dropping consecutively every single month.
“The latest data shows a total Medicare bulk billing rate of 77 per cent, and 80.2 per cent for non-referred GP appointments in the 12 months to June this year.
“These are the lowest bulk billing rates recorded since 2013.
“The fact remains, despite the rhetoric from Minister Butler, that health of regional Australians is worse off under Labor.”
