$100 GP bill is nothing to sneeze at

When Medicare was introduced in 1984, the Medicare rebate was $11.67 and covered 68 per cent of the AMA's recommended fee. Three decades later, the $36.30 Medicare rebate covers just 51 per cent of the AMA's recommended fee of $71. Source: News Limited

THE cost of a visit to the doctor and a prescription medicine has smashed through the $100 mark as the value of the Medicare rebate erodes and prescription costs rise.

Patients who use a non bulk-billing doctor are now paying around $71 up front before later receiving a Medicare rebate of $36.30.

They then face a $36.10 charge for each subsidised prescription medicine they need.

The rising costs are the reason a recent National Health Performance Authority report found up to one in eight people did not see or delayed seeing a doctor when they were ill.

Up to one in six people in some areas cannot afford to have a prescription filled.

The Australian Medical Association has launched a video campaign calling on the government to index the Medicare rebate to reflect the true cost of medical care.

When Medicare was introduced in 1984 the Medicare rebate was $11.67 and covered 68 per cent of the AMA's recommended fee.

Three decades later, the $36.30 Medicare rebate covers just 51 per cent of the AMA's recommended fee of $71.

Gap fees for non-bulk-billing GPs have soared by almost $10 a visit to $27 since Labor was elected in 2007.

A spokesman for Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said that under Labor, "GP bulk-billing rates have reached a record high of 82.5 per cent, which means more people are visiting the doctor for free than ever before".

In the May Budget, the government announced it would delay the next indexation of the Medicare rebate due in November by seven months, a move that could push up the cost of a doctors visit by a further $2.20.

Australians will face rising out of health expenses when the Medical Expenses Tax Offset used by more than 802,000 Australians in 2010-11 to claim $450 million worth of medical expenses is phased out from July.

"Years of inadequate Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) indexation, along with the recent freeze on MBS indexation, means the government is simply shifting costs to patients," Dr Hambleton said.

Dr Hambleton, who addresses the National Press Clun Wednesday said because government indexation does not take proper account of the increases in inflation and average weekly earnings, MBS fees have been devalued by 40 per cent since 1986.

"This inadequate indexation over the life of Medicare has resulted in patient out-of-pocket gap payments increasing by 11.7 per cent per annum," he said.

Watch and share the video Family Doctors - your medical home at https://ama.com.au/video/family-doctors-your-medical-home

Medicare rebate Rebate as % AMA fee

1984 $11.67 68%

2013 $36.30 51%

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