Federal MP says solution needed to bring bulk-billing back   
Daily Mercury
27th Feb 2018


PEOPLE who are ill and strapped for cash have every right to go to hospital emergency departments rather than pay to see a GP, Federal MP George Christensen says.

But he doesn't see that as a cure for the high cost of visiting a doctor in his electorate.

Spurred by the loss of Mackay's last fully bulk-billing service this month, the Nationals MP now plans to ask the North Queensland Primary Health Network to arrange a meeting of GPs to discuss what's needed to restore bulk billing.

He believes the solution lies with the region's GPs who would ultimately be the ones to decide whether to bulk bill patients or not.

New data released through a Senate Estimates hearing found people in Mr Christensen's electorate of Dawson were paying out-of-pocket costs of $39.40 to see a GP and $77.29 for a specialist, making it the second most expensive area in Queensland behind Brisbane.   

Mr Christensen said it was every person's right to use public hospital emergency departments for all health concerns as an alternative to paying to see a general practitioner, although it was not the preferred option.

Instead, he has thrown the ball back into the court of local doctors, and vowing to "beat the drum” for them in Canberra if they could guarantee that lifting the Medicare rebate freeze would mean the return of bulk billing in Mackay.

"If your doctor isn't going to (offer bulk billing), and you can't afford to go, it is everyone's right to go to a hospital. I know it's not the solution, because you have to wait there hours on end.

"This is why we need to find the solution and work with the local doctors because, ultimately, they are the ones who decide if they offer bulk billing or not.”

Mr Christensen said there was no easy fix to figuring out why regional and rural towns don't have the same concentration of bulk billing doctors that cities do.   

He hopes to hold forums with local GPs.

"After finding out about the last bulk-billing clinic closing in Mackay (my solution) was to get the North Queensland Primary Health Network to try and pull together GPs throughout the electorate of Dawson and to have forums with them about what the barriers are and what the government could do to restore bulk billing services,” Mr Christensen said.

However, lifting the Medicare rebate freeze wouldn't result in more bulk billing doctors, he said.

"It's basically a couple of bucks, that's what we're talking about. I don't think $2-$3 is the difference between offering bulk billing or not.

"If local medical clinics want that freeze lifted, I am more than happy to go and bash the (Federal) health minister's desk if they give me an iron-clad guarantee that lifting that freeze would restore Medicare rebates.

"I would need to see something in writing and signed.”

AMA Queensland president Dr Bill Boyd said layers of red tape had made running bulk billing clinics untenable.

"A medical practice costs a lot of money to run,” Dr Boyd said.

"General practice requires all sorts of compliances and licences - that all costs money - and those are all government requirements.

"And that is where a lot of the health dollar goes back to, administration; so, until they resolve that, then it's going to be expensive to have health care everywhere.

"GPs have found that they cannot run successful medical practices on the Medicare rebate, they cannot do it.”

Dr Boyd, who is based at the Mater in Mackay, said he looked forward to the forums Mr Christensen proposed.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said funding for GPs, bulk billing and Medicare were all Federal Government responsibilities.

"We are seeing increasing pressure on our emergency departments because people have reduced access to a GP, thanks to the Federal Government's decision to cap bulk billing and reduce funding for primary health care,” Mr Miles said.

"If Mr Christensen is serious about this issue, if he's serious about sticking up for the health of Queenslanders, he should lobby his Canberra mates to pay the money they owe our hospitals.”

whiteknight wrote on Mar 1^st, 2018 at 5:03pm:


North Queensland Primary Health Network to arrange a meeting of GPs to discuss what's needed to restore bulk billing.

A change of government is the best bet and that isn't too promising either.

Another DADS conservative complaining about one of his governments biggest successes. The Libs have been trying to remove bulk billing since its inception.

Thanks Mr Shorten for protecting Medicare and bulk-billing.   

RightSaidFred wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2018 at 8:14am:

All the more reason to vote in a Labor government at the next Federal election. The bastards in office now have been ruining the country for far too long, including the Howard government. We need a change of government and we need it now.

Bam wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2018 at 9:28am:


Sure if that is what you want FYI they are private practices that can choose to bulk bill or not is Bill going to force all of them to bulk bill ?

You are too easily sucked in by BS's BS.

RightSaidFred wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2018 at 10:16am:

You're making up crap. I never said anything about forcing practices to bulk bill.

What must be done is increasing the Medicare rebate so practices aren't forced to charge to remain viable.

Remove the rebate freeze and increase the rebates to the level they would be at if the freeze had never taken place.

We could go further. Increase the Medicare levy, remove the surcharge on high income earners without private health insurance, add dental to bulk billing.

Instead of freezing Medicare, we should look at freezing PHI rebates. The PHI has grown fat and bloated on taxpayer largesse and a rebate freeze is needed to remove some of the fat.

Bam wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2018 at 11:00am:


So neither the ALP or the LNP can compel a medical practitioner to bulk bill so you are buying into BS the smelliest kind for your beloved BS master BS .... he is the one throwing around crap that you swallow up regularly, you seem to have the taste for it.