Dear Patients,
It appears General Practice has reached a tipping point.
General Practices are struggling to remain open, with many practices closing their doors. Few practices universally bulk bill and fewer doctors are choosing General Practice.
The government rebate for most patients has altered little over the years and practice costs / running costs have ballooned.
When you see your GP, you will have noticed that your out-of-pocket expenses have increased.
We recognise this is especially difficult when the costs of living are rising sharply and hitting families hard.
Currently the Medicare rebate ( the amount the government reimburses you for our service ) represents less than half of the value of the service we provide. Margins in General Practice are thin, and we are finding we cannot sustain the current model of fees.
The current funding, makes it very difficult to provide an
accessible service, even if we only bulk bill those patients in financial difficulties. It is General Practice who has taken on this responsibility for this service, not the government.
The Government spends no more per patient in General Practice than it did in 2015. ($420/y)
We also need to explain that much of our work is completed behind the scenes, before and after your consultation.
Our doctors feel that their patients are not well served by trying to spread our services thinly, just to provide a quick service to as many patients as possible.
We can only provide this “unhurried whole person care” through higher fees.
We find we can only do our job safely in a setting where the consultations are not rushed and both doctor and patient mutually agree that your health and time with your GP is a valuable investment. Study after study shows having a regular GP relationship improves your health outcomes and saves the community many dollars by keeping patients out of hospital.
Our fees are below the AMA recommended levels and are generally less than other practices in Nowra and nearby.
Standard Consultation (for a single issue) $94
Long Consultation (for a more complex single issue or 2-3 issues) $162
The practice offers a discount for pensioners and health care card holders. Medicare rebate can be processed at the time of your appointment.
General Practitioners have chosen their career because of a desire to serve the community and our patients. The changes are driven for the need to remain viable rather than for profit.
Our Doctors ask you to join them in a commitment to quality care and mutual responsibility.
THANK YOU for your support.
YOUR DOCTOR
BERRY MEDICAL CENTRE