Welcome to
Kingscliff Doctors
8.00am – 5.30pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Public Holidays: Closed
reception@kingscliffdoctors.com.au
02 6674 1304
Why is there a gap for GP consultations?
To continue to provide our patients with the quality of service they deserve, it is necessary for the GP’s at Kingscliff Doctors to now privately bill all Aged Pensioners, children aged 0-15 years. Previously these patients have mostly been bulk billed.
All aged pensioners, Centerlink Health Care Card holders and all children will be charged for a GP consultation this includes (and not limited to) childhood immunisations. At the time of payment you will receive an instant Medicare rebate.
The doctors consulting from Kingscliff Doctors have made the decision to no longer bulk bill children as the Medicare rebate that they previously accepted simply no longer covers the ever increasing costs of providing quality care. Your Doctor understands that families are facing a cost of living crisis. Your Doctor did not come to this decision lightly.
Unfortunately your “gap” is widening. This means your out of pocket expenses are increasing annually. Did you know that your Medicare rebate for a standard GP consult up to 20 minutes increased by only 1.6% = 65 cents on the 1st of July 2022. The problem is that the cost to operate medical practices has gone up by over 10% just in the last year alone.
A decade of underinvestment in General Practice will continue to affect many services in General Practice. Did you know that GP nurses are paid about 20% less than hospital nurses (as per the federal award) despite both nursing groups being equally skilled. This is a direct result of the chronic underfunding of General Practice.
Did you know that by 2032 there will be 11,000 less GPs in the Australian workforce? In 2022, only 14% of medical school graduates opted to train as GP's. That is because the federal government has failed to invest in General Practice and GP training.
The Doctors working from Kingscliff Doctors suggest that you write to your federal member (Justine Elliot) and also the Health Minister (Mark Butler) and demand an improvement in Medicare funding for General Practice and an improvement in your Medicare rebates.
Minister.Butler@health.gov.au & justine.Elliot.MP@aph.gov.au
Just to be very clear: Doctors are not asking the Government for more money for them, they are asking for a better rebate for you.
Please read the articles below about bulk billing practices having to close due do failing financially. More practices may follow over the next year.