Mark Butler rules out private health insurers subsidising GP visits, warning of ‘two-tier system in basic general practice’
Private health insurers are not allowed to directly subsidise GP care under current laws.
The Minister for Health and Aged Care has “no plans” to let private health insurers subsidise GP care to compensate for Medicare’s shortfalls.
Journalists asked Mark Butler on Monday whether he would review the ban on private health subsidisies for GP consultations in order to address “rising costs and the slow death of bulk-billing”.
The AMA has left the door ajar to the idea.
Dr Danielle McMullen told AusDoc last year that private health funding for GP care risked an American-style healthcare system where insurers controlled clinical and referral decisions.
