Pollies betrayed rural patients with IMG policy, says former Nationals minister
Independent MP Andrew Gee is fighting to undo Labor's changes to the DPA system.
Nationals-turned-independent MP Andrew Gee says the major parties sold out rural patients when they blocked debate on whether outer-urban GP practices deserved priority access to IMGs.
Since 2022, the Federal Government has deemed GP practices in Modified Monash (MM) categories 2-7 — all non-metropolitan areas — automatically in areas of need.
It means 700 of Australia’s 827 GP catchment areas can recruit IMGs with Medicare access, 301 of them based solely on location rather than workforce need.
The RDAA says the policy has caused a 50% increase in IMGs leaving “Real Rural” areas for semi-urban practices.
