Health Minister commits $1.5 million to keep three bulk-billing practices afloat for seven months
Activists had planned to forcibly take over the clinics until the government took action.
The Federal Government will spend up to $1.5 million so three bulk-billing practices for vulnerable patients can remain open for seven more months.
It follows threats by health workers and socialist activists to “occupy” the Melbourne practices and treat patients without permission from the practices’ non-profit owner, cohealth.
cohealth had been preparing to close the practices — which serve 12,000 patients — on 16 December, saying Medicare rebates were too low to sustain them.
About 20 GPs would have lost their jobs.
