THE Flu Clinics have run well and many of you have commented on the ease and efficiency of the Saturday clinics. We thank our staff for coming in on a Saturday, and in particular Nurse Nancy who runs the show, and to the RSL, Lions and Rotary clubs for the post-jab sausage sizzles. This upcoming Saturday there are still lots of vacancies. If you are over 65 you are eligible for a free flu vaccine; if you haven’t been vaccinated we strongly recommend it. We are also taking bookings on Saturday for those under 65 who have a chronic disease and qualify for the flu vaccine. Ring the clinic and book in.
In other news. There has been a lot in the media about General Practice and the short-comings of the medicare rebate. It is fair to say that for us this is not a new topic but rather one that we have been concerned about for years.
For starters . . . we have decided as a clinic that as of May 1st 2023 we will no longer be bulk billing teenagers 16 years or older who have no concession cards (pension, HCC, etc); a full consultation fee will be charged. (The reason why 16 is chosen is that under this age Medicare gives an incentive to bulk bill, which has never been in place for those 16 years or older)
This is the first of a number of changes to our billing that we will be announcing over the coming months.
“Why?”
Because once upon a time the medicare rebate was a reasonable amount of money that enabled us to run our Medical Service successfully. This is no longer the case. The Medicare Rebate now represents about half of the cost of GP care. We have to make changes; this represents an (albeit small) initial step.
Watch this space. We will continue to use The Mirror to keep you up to date with the changes.Your understanding is appreciated.
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