THE Australian General Practice Alliance (AGPA) has called for a major overhaul of Medicare, including the creation of an independent pricing authority to set rebate levels for doctors.
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, AGPA Deputy Chair, emphasised that Medicare is under-funded, jeopardising primary healthcare services.
"Successive governments have failed to adequately fund primary healthcare," he said.
Dr Haikerwal pointed to rising business costs, declining profitability, and difficulties in retaining GPs, which he attributed to years of government rebate freezes.
He warned that over 35% of GPs are now charging patients more than $90 per consultation, with many reducing hours or planning to leave the profession.
"Practices are generally small privately-owned businesses, and their viability is a critical part of our entire healthcare system; and under-funding of rebates has forced GPs into private billing," he said.
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