Reform MBS For Patient Benefits, General Practice Week (15-21 June), Australia

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 19 Jun 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The Austalian Medical Association believes the Rudd Government must reform the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) to better rebate patient's access to GPs. The MBS must also be properly indexed, aligned with increasing costs.

As part of General Practice Week, the peak medical body is highlighting the difficulties GPs face every day in ensuring that patients get the highest quality of care and then obtain an appropriate Medicare rebate.

AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said the current Medicare Benefits Schedule was complex, and needed to be modernised to meet changing patient needs. Over the past 15 years, the number of GP consultation items had increased four-fold; the demand is higher and more complex.

"Patients need a rebate system that supports them when they see a doctor for acute care, and also for more chronic or complex problems, and for preventative medicine. GP are needing to spend more time with their patients," she said.

"Studies show that patients who have access to longer consultations with their GPs use other areas of the health system less often - saving the health system and the community money."

Dr Capolingua said GPs were best placed to deliver holistic care.

"GPs are able to assess the patient's total needs, coordinate care and meet these needs. General Practice best preserves the privacy and dignity of patients in the primary care setting.

"We need a modern Medicare Benefits Schedule that supports the patient's access to the clinically effective and cost effective high-quality care that is delivered in General Practice.

"The MBS should support patients spending more time with their local doctor so GPs can focus more on tackling chronic disease and delivering preventative health care," she said.

Eighty per cent of Australians visit a GP at least once a year and spend more time with their GP than people in many other countries.

Recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data showed that GPs are playing a key role in the fight against chronic disease - including high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, skin conditions and cardiovascular disease.

The AIHW said the number of encounters for chronic disease rose from 46.5 per 100 encounters in 1998/99 to 52.1 per 100 encounters in 2006/07.

General Practice Week (15-21 June) highlights the importance of general practice in our healthcare system and shows that GPs are leading the way to better health.

Australian Medical Association