You may have seen a scare campaign pushed by the AMA and the usual suspects out there about the Medicare rebate being reduced by $20. The letter doing the rounds is missing a few facts. Here they are: 1) The $20 rebate change applies to consultations less than 10 minutes only. 2) Pensioners, children under 16 and the 8 million concession holders are exempt. 3) All other consultations are NOT affected. - Government statistics show that only 26% of consultations are under 10 mins. It is up to the doctors if they want to pass this onto you or continue to bulk bill. The government claims it wants to put an end to the 6 minute in out supermarket consult and wants doctors to spend more time with their patients. It argues the unfairness of a doctor receiving the same rebate for a 6 minute consult as it does for a 19 minute consult. You can see why the doctors are up in arms. They will either have to spend more time with a patient to claim the current rebate, and therefore perhaps see less patients in the hour; or wear the cost; or refuse to bulk bill in which case the patient may look elsewhere for one who does.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 04:22:37 +0000