Medicare services are set to change from next Saturday, November 1, and provide patients with improved access to bulk-billed GP services.
The launch of the new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program provides an additional quarterly 12.5 per cent incentive for practices that bulk bill all eligible services, with the payment split 50/50 between the GP and the practice. Changes also affect the Better Access initiative, with new rules for mental health items and referrals.
Dr Holly Lewis, a general practioner at Springs Medical Kyneton, said she welcomed most of the changes.
“Springs Medical is excited to welcome the upcoming changes to the General Practice Bulk Billing Incentive. This will allow our clinic to bulk bill all Medicare eligible consults from November 1, removing financial barriers to accessing quality regional primary care and preventative health treatments while remaining viable as a locally GP owned business,” she said.
Dr Lewis added, however, there would be negative consequences to some of the new rules surrounding mental health services.
“We are sorry to see that some mental health consult rebates will be lost after November 1, and with current rebates, procedures cannot be bulk billed,” she said.
“We hope in future to see further support for mental health consults, longer complex health consults and procedures to enable further support for our community.”
The changes are part of the federal government’s aim to see nine out of 10 GP visits bulk billed by 2030.
