Why Australia is stuffed.

1:32

Rise of the Digital Surveillance State - Senate Speech.

for our security.....how noble of them.

By now most (well all...) of Australia will know that to see a GP
for a simple consultation you will have to pay...
Depending on whether you are a pensioner, or unemployed or employed..
..the amount will vary..usually between about $20 to $30....
This is because the government has scrapped bulk billing...
The simple way to explain this to non australians is that a GP previously
would see a patient for nothing, but he would bulk bill the government
of the day...he would then be paid by the government.
Nowadays, the entire healthcare system seems to be teetering on the brink
of collapse...
But wait there's more....
The employed, even though they are paying now to see a GP
still have to pay the medicare levy (which is calculated at 1.5%
or 2.5% or their yearly taxable income..depending on how
much they earn..)...$1500 pa for say $100K income....
Clear as mud you say...
Well in summary...we are now all subsidizing our doctors because
the government cant afford to pay them....
Im 75..I now have to pay $20 every time I get my scripts renewed
or whatever...
Another reason why this country is rooted...
Rant concluded for the day....

Forgot to mention....
You WILL NOT be able to see a GP unless you pay first...
You will be refused an appointment if you do not pay first...
If people have no money...and many are in this category....
they simply cannot see a doctor...they are turned away...
What happens to them....
Well...they rock up to the EU counter at the local hospital
which is usually short staffed as nurses are grossly underpaid...
In short...its the proverbial merrygoround.....

billy the kid wrote:Forgot to mention....
You WILL NOT be able to see a GP unless you pay first...
You will be refused an appointment if you do not pay first...
If people have no money...and many are in this category....
they simply cannot see a doctor...they are turned away...
What happens to them....
Well...they rock up to the EU counter at the local hospital
which is usually short staffed as nurses are grossly underpaid...
In short...its the proverbial merrygoround.....

Nice to see you back Billy, happy Australia day ,

What?

I know some GPs are dropping bulk billing because the government reduced the subsidy they receive but when did the government announce dropping it?

Perrottet in NSW is currently pushing reform which will provide greater access to bulk-billing GPs and urgent care services.

BTW I don't pay.

Rebates to GPs under the bulk billing system have been frozen
since 2013.
Doctors themselves are opting out of bulk billing because of this.
In other words, because the government has refused to increase
the rebates at least in line with the CPI, GPs are forced to charge
patients to cover their "increased" costs...
Therefore, the government is responsible for this state of affairs..
If you are not paying then you are one of a minority who has
a GP who is still bulk billing.
He must be well heeled....

You had me worried. I just called my doctor and he is still bulk billing. So no need for me to have to find another one. Whew!

There are 12 GPs at my medical Centre...none of them bulk bill
any more...
One family member late last year spent literally all day on the
phone attempting to find a GP who still bulk bills on the gold coast...
He couldnt find one....

Some doctors don't bulk bill down here anymore but plenty still do. I'd call around.