A new fully bulk-billed medical clinic has opened in Cannington, as more families look for affordable access to a GP.
The clinic is among a growing number of practices registering under the Federal Government’s expanded bulk billing incentives, which took effect in November.
Health Minister Mark Butler attended the opening and said bulk billing rates in the area were rising.
“It’s jumped in this area to nearly 79 percent,” he said.
“Almost eight in 10 consults now in this area are bulk billed.”
He said the aim of the changes was to make it easier for patients to see a doctor when they need to, rather than delaying care because of cost.
“Patients feeling that they can come to their doctor as soon as they need to, rather than when they feel they can afford to,” he said.
“Maybe I’ll just skip that follow-up. That’s the magic of bulk billing.”
Mr Butler said the Government would continue monitoring areas where access to bulk billing remains lower, including parts of Perth.
“It is patchy across Australia, so we’ll watch it over time,” he said.
Local MP Zaneta Mascarenhas said residents had raised concerns about the cost of seeing a doctor.
“When I’ve spoken to community members, they have said that the cost of accessing a doctor has been challenging and that they had seen it being difficult to get to a GP,” she said.
“I’d say that cost of living is the number one issue for our community. Health costs are a part of that.”
She said the number of fully bulk-billed clinics in the electorate had increased since the changes were introduced.
“This clinic was within the first to say, ‘Yep, we’re going to convert,’ which has been phenomenal,” she said.
The Cannington centre is operated by ForHealth Group. Chief executive Officer of the Group, Andrew Cohen, said the site has 24 GPs and is accepting new patients.
“Every patient is bulk billed without exception,” he said.
He said out-of-pocket costs would only apply in rare cases involving complex procedures.
The clinic also offers allied health services, pathology and imaging, with the aim of providing multiple services under one roof.
Mr Cohen said demand had already increased at clinics that switched to full bulk billing.
“Practices that have converted, just in a couple of months, up to 15 percent,” he said.
He said the decision to operate as fully bulk billed followed changes to federal funding that made it financially workable.
“If the economics make sense, then we absolutely want the best for our patients,” he said.
The opening provides another option at a time when many say finding an affordable GP has been difficult, especially for residents in Cannington and surrounding suburbs.
