Medicare in crisis: Are some concession card holders too wealthy to bulk-bill?
'We're here to help the most vulnerable but making that determination can be really difficult,' says the RACGP president
The debate raging about the collapse of mass bulk-billing has generally been premised upon the idea that any out-of-pocket fees should only be levied on those with the means to pay.Â
It’s been assumed that GPs will continue to ensure concession card holders are bulk-billed, given their financial predicaments.
But this week, the RACGP stirred up an interesting debate, pointing to the Federal Government’s decision to grant thousands of patients new Commonwealth Seniors Health Cards.
This resulted from the fact that the upper income threshold for single older Australians seniors to be eligible for a Seniors Health Card is being increased from $57,761 per annum to $90,000, a 56% increase.
