MyMedicare is a scheme that encourages patients to register with a regular GP practice to improve their health. But few patients have enrolled.
Unaffordable GP visits has become a pressing issue amid the increasing cost-of-living crisis. About 30% of Australians delayed or didn’t see a GP in 2023–24.
Forty years on from the introduction of Medicare, is the term “bulk-billing” still relevant in today’s complex health care landscape?
Health care professionals are being urged to be vigilant after a resurgence of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has been reported across New South Wales and Victoria.
Australia’s second-largest private health insurer, Bupa, has recently started offering its members three free GP telehealth consultations a year. This follows other insurers such as nib offering its members digital GP consults, for things like prescriptions and medical certificates, for a fee.
The MediSecure data breach highlights the health care sector’s susceptibility to such attacks, and it is imperative that the government and health care providers work together to better protect sensitive health data.
Ensuring all Australians have access to guideline-based health care should be a priority for both the government and the medical profession.
As we mark the 40th anniversary of Medicare, Australians are long overdue a clear discussion about how we can guarantee funding for GP services into the future.
Being able to afford health care is a pressing issue for many Australians. And encouraging GPs to bulk bill is one measure the government is taking to ease the strain.
