Two-thirds of patients earning more than $100,000 a year still bulk-billed
RACGP president Nicole Higgins says general practice clinics need to 'do what it takes' to stay open
More than 60% of patients on six-figure salaries were bulk-billed at their last GP consultation, according to a new survey from NAB.
The figures add to the growing debate on bulk-billed care and whether the bulk-billing of patients with means is making it harder to subsidise care for patients who cannot afford to pay.
Last week, an AusDoc survey showed the vast majority of GPs did not trust the Seniors Health Card as a reliable indicator of financial hardship after Minister for Health Mark Butler raised the income threshold for the card from $57,761 to $90,000 per annum for singles.
As part of the survey, GPs spoke of trying to assess patients’ financial capacity via their vehicles or questions about travel vaccinations.
