60% of GPs say government messaging around bulk billing incentives is very or moderately misleading…

GPs overwhelmingly feel the government has been less than forthright with the public about the limitations of its bulk billing policies, with only 12% agreeing that messaging around the incentives has been accurate, a Healthed survey with over 1000 GP respondents so far has found.

The government’s promises have been prolific, telling voters they’d need nothing but their Medicare card and that nine out of 10 GP visits would be free by 2030, as a result of expanding the tripled bulk billing incentives to all Australians, and introducing a 12.5% Practice Incentive Program payment for practices where all doctors universally bulk bill – both of which will take effect on 1 November.

“Government messaging seems to convey that it is the GPs that are the problem with choosing not to bulk bill, rather than articulating the poor remuneration and lack of respect and value that GPs are held by the government. I feel we are a soft target,” one GP in the survey commented.

“The government has made the public believe that bulk billing is going to be for everyone,” another said.

Many are already feeling the heat, with one third saying they’ve felt more pressure from patients to bulk bill in the last six months. Though most (45%) say the biggest factor is likely the rising cost of living, one in five attributed the increased pressure to government PR about the bulk billing incentives.

While the government has been quiet about inadequate rebates and the costs of running a practice, they’ve been extremely vocal in setting expectations for bulk billed GP visits come November.

So it’s little wonder that eight out of 10 GPs think the messaging is contributing to the tired, old ‘greedy doctors’ trope.

In fact, half of GPs in the nation-wide poll the government’s messaging is a major contributor to this public perception.

Meanwhile, the government’s oft-repeated narrative that most practices will be better off if they bulk bill all patients has failed to persuade the majority of mixed and privately billing doctors.

Last week, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing assistant secretary for MyMedicare and bulk-billing clinics Jo Da Rocha said over 900 clinics had expressed interest in participating in the Bulk Billing PIP – not many more than the approximately 800 to 850 clinics that already universally bulk bill.

A Healthed survey held on 19 August found that only 8% of mixed billing GPs thought the new policies would significantly improve the financial viability of their practice, while 31% expected a slight improvement. Overall, 46% of over 1400 surveyed GPs said they were not at all likely to switch to universal bulk billing, 20% said they were only slightly likely, while just 15% were very likely to make the change.

What your colleagues are saying

“Considering the number of years of training which we GPs do to provide the most up to date care for patients, it is insulting to tell the public that this service should be free for everyone.”

“It feels like the all the recent media is made to gaslight the medical profession. We are professionals not charity workers.”

“Nobody of either stripe of politics has ever address the real cost of running a practice!”

“The government is up to their usual tricks of doctor blaming. The RACGP and AMA still haven’t learned from the pharmacists how to lobby the government effectively after all these years.”

“Yet GPs are more heavily limited and poorly remunerated than any other branch of the profession, as well as being disrespected and told our job could be done by a nurse or pharmacist!”

“The government is always seeking to increase its standing by giving away what they do not possess – us.”

“No recognition of practice costs in indexation of rebates…”

“I think the public is generally aware that politicians are trying to use doctors for political advantage.”

Anonymous comments are from Healthed’s 14 October survey.