The average out-of-pocket cost for Hunter patients to see a GP has risen to $48 - the highest on record for the district, Medicare data shows. $ 0 / (min cost $ 0 ) Login or signup to continue reading This cost, from the March quarter, was a 15 per cent rise compared to the same time last year, and a 55 per cent rise in a decade. Dr Fiona Van Leeuwen said "for quite some time successive governments have been shifting fees to see doctors to the patients".
Dr Van Leeuwen, chair of the Hunter General Practitioners Association, said "market forces can't be allowed to determine what happens with people's health". "People in positions of power need to be brave enough to make changes to help people have stable health care that they can afford." Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said "this year's increase to Medicare rebates is the second largest increase in the past 30 years".
"The largest increase was last year. We have increased Medicare rebates more in the past two years than the former government did in nine years," Mr Butler said. The out-of-pocket costs reflect the average patient payment for the 28 per cent of GP visits in the district that were not bulk billed in the March quarter.
As such, the Hunter data - which includes New England and the Central Coast - showed a bulk-billing rate of 72 per cent for the quarter. This was the second lowest among NSW's 10 primary health networks. It was below the NSW rate of 82 per cent and the national rate of 77 per cent.
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