By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Patients are delaying or not going to see a GP because of the costs involved, according to recently published data.
Six per cent of patients in Melbourne’s north-west, which includes Melton and Bacchus Marsh, say the cost of attending a GP is prohibitive, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.
The data shows that more than one-third of Melton and Bacchus Marsh residents have been slugged with out-of-pocket fees for Medicare services, including visits to GPs and obstetricians in the past 12 months.
Patients have on average forked out $116 for non-hospital related services, such as specialists, obstetricians, GPs and medical imaging, with some being charged more than $460 in the 2016-17 financial year.
More than two-thirds of Melton and Bacchus Marsh patients were charged, on average $57, to see a specialist. And 19 per cent of patients were charged on average $12 for a visit to the GP.
But it was a visit to an obstetrician that hit the hip pocket the hardest, with 25 per cent charged on average of $177, and some more than $500.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president-elect Harry Nespolon said the data “emphasised” the need for urgent investment in preventative healthcare.
“The reality is, long and complex consultations are not properly compensated by patients’ Medicare rebate,” Dr Nespolon said.
“When a GP has the proper amount of
time with a patient, we are able to properly treat the whole patient. An extra 10-30 minutes in a GP consult can mean that a condition
is identified earlier or health risks like obesity and mental health issues receive proper preventative treatment before a patient ends
up with a more serious lifelong condition.”
The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association chief executive Alison Verhoeven said the report should be a “wake up” call to governments to ensure health reforms protect healthcare for everyone.
“We do not want to go down the path of an Americanised system where the more you pay, the more access you have to care, and if you are poor, your access to care is limited,” Ms Verhoeven said.
