Cost of living pressures, have some Canberrans second guessing their need to go to a GP. Vox pop – “I sometimes delay a couple of weeks before going to the doctor just to makesure I've not got too many expenses all coming up at the same time.” Vox Pop – “I kind of think "Am I really sick?" "Do I really need to go?" and if I don’t, I just take a Panadol and stay home” Doctors warn that can seriously affect a person's health. And though ACT bulk billing rates have increased by nearly six per cent since. The Commonwealth government tripled the bulk-billing incentive last November. The chief minister says it's not enough. Andrew Barr, Chief Minister - We’d love to see more from the federal government as well, but we are particularly focussed on a practical role that we can play. If re-elected, Labor is promising an 11-million-dollar fund to support new or expanded bulk-billing general practices, and clinics which bulk bill children. As well as four million to help attract and support doctors to become GPs. Rachel Stephen-Smith, Health Minister - “boosting access to bulk billed after-hours general practice is also part of the package and then finally we're looking at expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists as well.” Labor says it'll also shift to a payroll tax model similar to South Australia and Victoria. Rachel Stephen – Smith, Health Minister - No payroll tax will be charged on that income that's coming from services that are bulk billed. Dr Rebekah Hoffman, Royal Australian College of GPs - it's definitely a move in the right direction - what we really need to see across Australia is just a nationally consistent framework. Elizabeth Lee - The Canberra liberals maintain GP clinics shouldn't pay the tax at all. Elizabeth Lee, Canberra Liberals leader - tying bulk billing rates with payroll tax is not going to work Andrew Barr - The strength of this model is that there is a direct correlation bulk billed services and the tax concession and that's a strong incentive The one consensus; that bulk billing rates must rise.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Cost-of-living pressures have some Canberrans second-guessing their need to go to a GP.
00:08I sometimes delay a couple of weeks before going to the doctor just to make sure that,
00:13you know, I've not got too many expenses all coming up at the same time.
00:17I kind of think, you know, am I really sick, do I really need to go,
00:21and if I don't then I just like, you know, take a Panadol and stay home.
00:26Doctors warn that can seriously affect a person's health
00:29and though ACT bulk billing rates have increased by nearly 6%
00:34since the Commonwealth Government tripled the bulk billing incentive last November,
00:38the Chief Minister says it's not enough.
00:41We'd love to see more from the Federal Government as well,
00:44but we are particularly focused on a practical role that we can play.
00:49If re-elected, Labor is promising an $11 million fund
00:53to support new or expanded bulk billing general practices
00:57and clinics which bulk bill children,
00:59as well as $4 million to attract and support doctors to become GPs.
01:04Boosting access to bulk bill after hours general practice is also part of the package,
01:10and then finally we're looking at expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists as well.
01:15Labor says it will also shift to a payroll tax model similar to South Australia and Victoria.
01:21No payroll tax will be charged on that income that's coming from services that are bulk billed.
01:26It's definitely a move in the right direction.
01:28What we really need to see across Australia is just a nationally consistent framework.
01:35The Canberra Liberals maintain GP clinics shouldn't pay the tax at all.
01:39Tying bulk billing rates with payroll tax is not going to work.
01:45The strength of this model is that there is a direct correlation
01:50between bulk billed services and the tax concession,
01:54and that's a strong incentive.
01:56The one consensus that bulk billing rates must rise.