‘Be brave’: Dr Mukesh Haikerwal on how he is ditching bulk-billing
The Melbourne GP has been gradually introducing fees across his practice over the past 18 months
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal has a simple message for GPs looking to cut back on bulk-billing: Be brave, offer a quality service and your patients will stick by you.
Two years ago, the former AMA president bulk-billed almost all patients at his Melbourne practice.
Today, everyone except pensioners and holders of Services Australia Health Care Cards are charged fees — typically $84 for a standard consult.
It comes after the RACGP called on GPs to privately bill “as many people as they can”, warning that record bulk-billing rates were harming the specialty.
