![]() ![]() "If someone who's registered is prioritised for appointments I think that's really tricky because what if other people who need appointments are sicker?" she said. They're also offering free flu vaccines and state that bulk-billed consults may be available for all MyMedicare patients.ĭr Deveny says prioritising patients challenges the idea of universal care. On their website, the provider says it will reserve appointments specifically for those who have signed up. One of the largest medical centre operators in Australia is promising priority appointments for MyMedicare patients. There are also concerns about MyMedicare patients getting preferential treatment. That could be due to expertise held in different practices, convenience or cultural reasons, for example your local GP might be male and as a woman you want to see a female GP for some specific issues. This argument for continuity of care is something that's backed by research.īut CEO of the Consumers Health Forum Elizabeth Deveny says that doesn't account for people who see multiple providers for different needs. The government says MyMedicare will encourage people to stick with the one GP, which can lead to better health outcomes. ![]() ![]() You're also not locked into the practice or preferred GP you initially register with as those can be changed at any time.īut if you do change clinics, you will have to attend two face-to-face appointments before your telehealth benefits kick in (unless exemptions apply to you). No, selecting one particular clinic and one preferred doctor doesn't prevent you from making appointments anywhere else.īut you will only be able to access the benefits of the MyMedicare scheme at your registered practice. Can I only go to the clinic I register with? It's estimated that around one in five Australians have two or more chronic diseases. The other incentive relates to people with complex chronic disease who frequently attend hospitals - it's called the Frequent Hospital Users Incentive.īasically doctors will receive a bonus (the value is still unknown) for providing comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care for these patients in the community, thus reducing their visits to hospital. ![]() The Department of Health says the exact value of the bonus will be finalised in the coming months. One is the Aged Care Incentive which gives doctors a payment for making regular visits to MyMedicare registered patients in residential aged care. MyMedicare will be a gradual rollout over three years so more benefits will come into effect later.ĭetails are still being worked out but from mid-2024 two more incentives will become available. Nothing, you will just continue to access the same care from your doctor as you currently do. You can do this in your Medicare online account, the Medicare app or in person at your preferred clinic. On top of this, soon your GP will be incentivised by the government to bulk-bill certain patients registered through MyMedicare for long telehealth appointments.įrom November 1 doctors will receive triple the incentive they normally do if they bulk-bill children under 16, pensioners, and concession card holders for these consultations. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says often it's the most vulnerable in society who benefit the most from long telehealth consultations, for example people seeking mental health support or those in rural and remote areas. The cost each GP charges for such appointments differs greatly depending on location, but on average it will mean Medicare will cover around half the consultation fee. Last year the government scrapped rebates for telehealth appointments longer than 20 minutes (known as level C) and longer than 40 minutes (level D).īut if you register through MyMedicare, you will have access to rebates again. The main benefit of signing up at this time is access to Medicare rebates for longer telehealth consultations. MyMedicare is separate to My Health Record (the online summary of your health information) so it won't hold any of your clinical information, only the details of your regular GP. People who are facing hardship, such as domestic violence or homelessness, will be exempt from the face-to-face appointment requirement, but the government has not outlined how someone proves hardship. MyMedicare is open to all Australians with a Medicare card or a Department of Veterans' Affairs card and you're eligible if you've had two or more face-to-face appointments at your regular practice in the past two years (or one face-to-face visit for practices in remote locations). Importantly, if you attend a clinic with multiple doctors, you can see any GP at that clinic (even if they aren't your 'chosen' doctor) and get the same benefits. ![]()
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