How to Get a GP Doctor to Bulk Bill You?

LStephanie360 on 02/05/2018 - 07:15
Last edited 02/05/2018 - 11:42 by 1 other user

Doctors in Australia are so expensive when it should be free. In Europe healthcare is free - we just walk into a specialist doctors clinic and will be seen or get an appointment, no need for referral from a GP. No need to pay.

Here doctors get money from government and still ask you to pay. I have to pay $70 to just see a GP. How do you get your GP doctor to bulk bill you? I have tried the following which have worked:

  • tell them how long you waited and it would not be fair to charge
  • say “just a quick one” and tell them what you need like a script or certificate.
  • usually they won’t charge just for a script, so say you just want a script then talk about what you need to see them for

However without trying the above and I just ask them if they will bulk bill me up they will say no. It is stupid here. So ridiculous.

Healthcare should be free. Share your strategies on how to be bulk billed. I am still trying to get specialists to bulk bulk. We need to help each other.

Health & Beauty

Comments

        • kingmw on 05/05/2018 - 11:12

          @tshow: Dentistry is NOT entirely elective. You could almost say that every specialty is elective e.g. pregnancy is mostly elective etc.

          Preventative medicine e.g. dentistry, GP, most physicians are generally the most cost effective in healthcare because it is much cheaper to treat before serious problems arise.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2018 - 14:23

          @kingmw:
          The definition of elective does no include effeciency or efficacy.

          If your patient is not going to die as a direct result of nil treatment, it is elective.

          I have mates which only do elective plastics, there is no sense of inferiority. In fact, there's no shortage of ego.

          Ps. Prevention is elective. It doesn't mean prevention isnt smart, and I agree, prevention is much better than treatment.

    • Ozbargainlyf on 03/05/2018 - 14:59
      +1

      You still get people refusing to pay gaps or my personal favourite, "just a quick look". Was that you Stephanie?

    • ninetyNineCents on 05/05/2018 - 17:57
      -1

      You obviously dont appreciate that being a dentist involves skilled hand work and more, while a GP is much simpler, writing scripts and doing ear examinations.

  • BestofOZB on 02/05/2018 - 20:25
    +8

    I think Stephanie has gone back to Europe!

    • busky2k on 03/05/2018 - 19:35
      +4

      So she can pay 2 euro to use the 'public' toilet! - (only those been to EU understand this joke lol)

  • jeka1103 on 02/05/2018 - 20:45
    +2

    I used to live in Sydney where all GPs I visited bulk billed, and you could get an X-ray or blood test (and presumably other services) bulk billed as well. When I moved the the Central Coast I got massive shock to find bulk billing is almost unheard of. The first doctor I visited had a fee scale up on the counter of all the doctors in the practice, from memory the fees ranged between $50-100 for the first 10 minutes, based on experience of the doctor. The receptionist quite rudely snapped at me when I asked about the fees, it was simply not something I has seen before. I soon realised that making the practice aware I was a student on youth allowance meant that they would bulk bill me, provided I could provide a current Centerlink health care card. However, when I had to get some x-rays one day I got a massive shock to be asked to pay several hundred dollars for the x-rays. In this case I questioned why the x-rays weren't bulk billed and the receptionist said that at that particular clinic they only bulk bill if the doctor writes on the referral that they should bulk bill but if I were to go a different clinic at a different location from the same company they bulk bill for different services on different days (one day was x-rays, a different day for ultrasounds, etc). While I thought this was ridiculous I paid the money and moved on.

    From my experience, my advice for you to be bulk billed is to do one of the following:
    - Be under 16 years of age
    - Be over 65 years of age
    - Be on a Centerlink benefit
    - As many here have suggested, find a clinic that bulk bills
    - Ask for your doctor to bulk bill you

    I don't disagree with paying for medical services, and I understand that doctors don't get a lot of money when they bulk bill but it disheartens me that I pay a decent amount of tax for the medicare levy every year, don't go to the doctor all that often but when I do I still have to pay.

    • keji on 02/05/2018 - 22:41
      +1

      Paid to help the overall system - from medics to nurses to Drs. Only if it wasn't abused by scumbags like Craig Thomson on hookers and grog.

    • Tsuska on 03/05/2018 - 00:16

      Unfortunately your tax are not necessarily going to where we want them to go to…like medical services.

    • kingmw on 05/05/2018 - 11:24

      Your thinking about medicare is wrong. Also medicare levy barely funds medicare, most of the funding comes from income tax, company tax and gst.

      "In 2013-14, the 1.5% Medicare Levy collected just $10.3 billion in revenue, and covered less than 15% of the $71 billion cost of Medicare. The total cost of Medicare actually accounted for almost 44% of total income tax revenue. In order to raise the full amount of income tax to meet the full cost of Medicare, the rate charged to income earners would be 10.4% — rather than the ‘fake’ 1.5% rate."
      https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2017/05/rr27.pdf

      Medicare is like an nationwide insurance policy, you pay it to fund all medical services in case you need it. While you are young and healthy, you don't need it much. However if unfortunately you have a major accident, emergencies or develop age-related illnesses or a cancer in the future, that's when you will get your money's worth and potentially more. Hopefully you wont need it, but it is more than likely that most people will use it.

  • Kapinny on 02/05/2018 - 21:27
    +1

    member since 30/4/2018 lol

    • BestofOZB on 02/05/2018 - 21:51
      +2

      And poor Stephanie will probably disable her account after how this post has gone 😅

  • Fier2 on 02/05/2018 - 21:28
    +4

    I think i m not wrong if i said that Stephanie is french. Unfortunately, not everything is free in europe and definetly not in France. Sometimes the waiting time to see a specialist can stretch up to 6 months…
    Yes, everything is expensive in australia and yes, when you are not a permanent citizen you will end up paying a lot more. You want your gp to bulk bill you but have you ask if it applies to everyone?! Some places will do it without asking and some not. Esp, if you are on a bridging visa or a temporary medicare card. Then there are no way you will be bulk bill. If you want something free then that mean you don t really care about your health which mean you don t need to see a gp.
    If there are one thing i learnt in australia is they got one of the most amazing public health fund. That doctors and nurses who look after you when you are really sick will go above and beyond to give your families and you the best experience possible with your treatment.
    Stop whining about the price. You choose to live here and you should assume. When i was pregnant, i didn t have medicare. My child cost us a lot. But never ever did i thought to ask for free consultations. Even now, my gp won t refer me to a specialist unless it s necessary.
    Australians have the best care possible and you should be thankfull to be in such a country. The day you gonna have to go to hospital and stay there you will see the difference between europe and here!

  • keji on 02/05/2018 - 22:39
    +1

    Let me get this straight…all the effort to get bulked billed

    1. tell them how long you waited and it would not be fair to charge

    You're really going to short change a doctor because they're trying to help solve someone's issues who is scheduled before you.

    1. say “just a quick one” and tell them what you need like a script or certificate.
      usually they won’t charge just for a script, so say you just want a script then talk about what you need to see them for.

    You're really going to deceive someone who's in charge of your health and short change them over a few bucks…

    What a scumbag thing to do. This should sit next to robbers on the 7 stages of hell. Speaking frankly, there are bulk billed Drs and non-bulk billed Drs. You don't have to choose the out of pocket ones.

    Just like I choose to pay 35% tax even though I earn less than $20K US.

      • Piranha2004 on 03/05/2018 - 09:11
        +1

        They only get money from the government if they bulk bill. What part of that dont you understand?

        • accessdenied on 03/05/2018 - 09:23
          +5

          Each and every part.. She has been on the rhetoric spree that they get paid by the govt. See idiots do not go too far.

      • Maximum64 on 05/05/2018 - 01:37

        Then why don't we all just go on the dole and go to work for free? I'm sure your employer would love that, even though the dole is not enough to live on, after all, it is scumbag thing to work for a real income when you already get a pittance from the government …

  • Tsuska on 03/05/2018 - 00:26
    +3

    Recent letter from the RACGP to its members:

    "The quarterly bulk-billing rates show that fewer and fewer GPs are choosing to bulk bill their patients each year. If this trend continues, Australia will see a clear drop in bulk billing. Tasmania has already seen a decline in bulk billing for the past four years running. New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are heading in the same direction, with close to no growth this financial year."

    Change in bulk-billing rates – Australia
    GP attendances
    Year to date
    (March–July)……Bulk-billing rate(%).. Increase from previous year(%)

    2013–14…………. 81.9……………… 1.1
    2014–15…………. 82.7 …………… .. 0.8
    2015–16…………. 83.4 ……………..0.7
    2016–17…………. 84.0 …………… 0.6
    2017–18…………. 84.4 …………… 0.4

    "Interestingly, despite the high bulk-billing rates, we are also seeing sustained growth in patient out-of-pocket costs – well beyond natural growth or the consumer price index (CPI). The average patient contribution this financial year was $36.09. This is a growth of 4.4% since the same time last year or double the CPI over the same period. Every year, Medicare statistics show growth of double, and even triple, the CPI inpatient out-of-pocket costs. I believe that this also shows that cross-subsidisation may be occurring, where patients who are privately billed are increasingly bearing the cost for the patients who are bulk billed. At this rate of growth, regardless of any indexation to patient rebates, from 1 July 2018, privately billed patients will pay a gap larger than the patient rebate within the next year – something that is already occurring in some states"

    "Appropriate investment in primary care has been proven, repeatedly, to be the most cost-efficient way to deliver effective healthcare to the Australian population, particularly as the numbers of patients with chronic conditions continue to increase."

    Dr Bastian Seidel
    RACGP President

    also a link to the RACGP recommendation report: https://www.racgp.org.au/yourracgp/news/reports/20170827medi…

    • ninetyNineCents on 05/05/2018 - 17:59

      Most of australia has been stuck on the same wage for 5 years, what you forgot to mention is doctors are in the top 1%.

  • AlienC on 03/05/2018 - 00:44
    +3

    The real question is why can't I bulk bill my pc and TV purchases.. answer that one Einstein's.

    • keji on 04/05/2018 - 10:55

      You can as a guest of Her Majesty

      • buckster on 08/05/2018 - 08:09

        Was she needing a new consort?

  • RefusdClassification on 03/05/2018 - 02:56

    Where I live there is only 1 of about 8 clinics that will bulk bill across the board (2 others bulk bill only old age pensioners). Bulk billing specialists in private practice seem to be non-existant now.

    If European countries can provide complete free health care, we can do so in Australia. Just roll back middle class welfare and redirect the savings to Public Health.

  • MagicOZ on 03/05/2018 - 03:49
    +1

    IDK for which European country you refer to, but is not totally free. There are expenses and visit to GP is not free, is cheap but not free.

    • knasty on 03/05/2018 - 08:45
      +10

      Free healthcare is a right in Australia. Anyone with a Medicare card can present at a public hospital and be treated.

      If you make a choice to see a doctor who doesn't bulk bill it's exactly that, your choice. If you choose to live in Sydney there's a hell of a lot of downsides, but there's upside too like access to a broad range of healthcare options.

      I'd rather have a 20 or 30 dollar copay and get proper attention than 'free' with the GP having no time to think about things properly.

    • Tsuska on 03/05/2018 - 09:09
      +5

      Because the tax that you pay does not translate into adequate pay for your GP. For our profession to survive and deliver quality service for our patients we have to have adequate financial support. Just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean that I have to lose money to provide my services to you. If you think that seeing a GP or healthcare should be 'free' for the patient and thus we should be paid fully by the government (note that medicare is paid by the federal government and public hospitals by the state government) then perhaps more of your tax should be paid to fund us or else we'll be a dying profression becuase there's not enough money in it to actually support our jobs.

      So that's why some of us charge a gap! Because your insurance company known as medicare is stingy as heck and barely pays for OUR electricity bills, staffing wages, rent, medical equipment and ongoing expenses. So bulkbilling doctors are FORCED to see more patients or work longer hours to make up for the shortfall and those who charge a gap can then spend more time with each patient, don't ask the patient to come back for every little thing, not work 6-7 days a week and after hours and also pay our nurses and receptionists more thus improving employment satisfaction and our economy.

      So NO, you are not paying enough tax to pay us. Or the tax you are paying is not funding us adequately. SO just because you are paying tax doesn't mean that your tax actually pays us. By asking all GPs to bulkbill you are effectively asking us to sacrifice 90% or more of our income to running costs. Are you willing to pay 90% of your income to tax?

      • ninetyNineCents on 05/05/2018 - 18:00

        Tsuska: Just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean that I have to lose money to provide my services to you

        99: Why do you tell such stupid statements ? We all know doctors can make a living on just medicare. No doctor is taking an extra job at woolies so they can keep their practice open.

        • buckster on 08/05/2018 - 08:11

          And all the other staff, nurses and administration at the clinic? Where do you reckon their wages cone from? Get a grip

    • Tech5 on 03/05/2018 - 09:52
      +5

      To address point 2, 3 and 4: You do have access to free healthcare. You just need to wait like everyone else.

      Also, you say in point 4 that free healthcare is a basic human right. So why do you complain that those on centrelink get it for free? Are they subhuman? :)

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 10:24
      +8

      Access to healthcare is a right.

      Free healthcare is a privilege.

      If you have poor healthcare you can die. It is not a social responsibility that you maintain your health.

      Paying tax does not make the things you wish to see free be free. I pay tax, I'd die without a house in winter. I don't get one for free. I don't qualify for any concessions even though I'm in the top tax bracket.

      You're either a troll or a laggard. Or an incredible human being and Europe is desperate for your return. Go.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 16:33
      +3

      -Perhaps you should question the reasons why there is only one bulk billing clinic in your area? If it was a profitable business to run there, surely more would pop up if there is such demand they have a 2 week wait list? Perhaps its not a terribly profitable business while being able to provide a non-shitty service?

      -There are many countries that swim in public debt from their public health system. Public health money isn't an unlimited pot of gold. Every $ we spend on you getting a free trip to the GP is another $ I can't spend giving someone a new chemotherapy regimen.

      -Hey I agree, isn't it silly that we have so much welfare in this country to the extent that it doesn't incentivise actually working? Must be your GPs fault?

      -You have a right to access to healthcare, and you have it in Australia. There are bulk billing GPs. There are free EDs. There are free hospitals. There are free dentists. There are free after hours doctors. What essential health service is not available free in Australia if you desperately need it? If you don't, you can either wait in line like everyone else, or you can pay like everyone else. What makes you so special that you get to jump the queue?
      (Using the word 'free' pretty loosely there. Nothing is free, someone is paying for it)

    • djones145 on 04/05/2018 - 13:28
      +1
      • book 3 weeks in advance
      • move to a main city
      • study to be a doc, set up ur own bulk billing centre, make HUGE profits
      • don't pay tax
      • move to Europe
      • google MD
  • austrij on 03/05/2018 - 07:35

    People complain about gap all the time, but when a 'foreigner' does, there's suddenly a lot of hurt feelings.

    • payton on 03/05/2018 - 14:49
      +11

      maybe its because OP wanted suggestions on how to morally blackmail GPs and force them to give their time for free out of guilt/sympathy

  • Apoca89 on 03/05/2018 - 07:48
    +5

    Do you have any idea how hard it is to become a doctor? They don't even start earning a good wage until they 30's. How much study, how stressful it is on them, just to get to become a GP (which is a different specialisation).
    If you think health care should be free, fine. Campaign the government for that. Don't try to scam out doctors who generally do give up money for needy patients.

  • AustriaBargain on 03/05/2018 - 08:09
    +2

    Just pay the gap. A lot of private GPs charge a modest gap and they process your payment for medicare on the spot so your refund goes straight back into your bank account. Don't settle for a bulk billing doctor just because they bulk bill. If they don't specialise in whatever is really ailing you then they probably never will be able to help you, no matter how many times medicare pay for you to see them. You can see as many doctors as you like, you can see a private and public GP at the same time if you want a second opinion, you can do whatever you want. It's your time and your money, most clinics who have GPs will be willing to have one see you just by filling out a form. Super specialist doctors aren't nearly as available as most GPs, if you need a specialist then you really need to think about how that is getting paid for and whether or not your GP can write an adequate referral for you.

  • vicosads on 03/05/2018 - 08:28

    muh free stuff

  • Stevek1960 on 03/05/2018 - 08:37

    Do you pay the Doctor (Motor Mechanic) to fix your car ?? They dont bulk bill you pay the full amount, so think yourself lucky
    you only have to pay the Gap to see a doctor and not the full price.
    If you dont like it I believe someone else has told you what to do :-)

  • gimme on 03/05/2018 - 08:53
    +5

    Gap isn't an issue. Finding a good GP is. I'd happily pay a gap for a 20min consultation where I feel like the GP is genuinely listening and evaluating and explaining. As opposed to revolving door large bulk bill clinics. 25years visiting GPs across Australia I have stumbled on ONE such GP and ironically they bulk bill. Nowadays I have to drive 45mins to get to him but well worth it. Just seeing him makes me feel better.

    • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2018 - 20:48

      Just seeing him makes me feel better.

      Placebo effect.

  • frostman on 03/05/2018 - 08:57
    +3

    A.) No DR is free, it's either Bulk-Billed or Not.
    Bulk-billed means the GP will be paid via Medicare which is usually obtained via Tax-paying citizens, if you held any job you'd realise there's a Medicare Levy which is a portion of your tax paying.
    If it's not bulk billed, chances are that either you're in an affluent area, or he/she is a skilled DR that cbf waiting for medicare payments.
    Most of the bulk-billers these days are novice doctors, or doctors that got their degree transferred from a different country, or an average DOC that just wants to get paid and prescribe strong painkillers through a revolving door (max interaction time = 4mins)

    B.) You cannot force/persuede/influence a GP to bulk-bill, he/she sets these conditions outright.

    C.) "say just a quick one” and tell them what you need like a script or certificate." > lol

    • Tsuska on 03/05/2018 - 09:34

      a) or they bulkbill because they work in an area with low SES? We do have lots of those areas in Australia. Also i would like to think doctors don't just prescribe strong painkillers through a revolving door…that's how they get audited right?

  • uedamasaki on 03/05/2018 - 09:06
    +16

    I just want to clarify the intent or the spirit behind medicare rebates since there seems to be a misconception. Medicare rebates aren't meant to be a payment to the GP. Patients are meant to pay the GP as they do for any other professional service (dentist, lawyer, physio, chiro, psychologist, etc). Medicare then rebates the patient a part of that fee so subsidise their care. To make things easier for patients, the system is now set up so GPs can claim directly from medicare to reduce the number of transactions involved.

    So no, GPs (and other specialists) don't get paid by the government. They aren't public employees (unless they work in a public hospital of course). They get paid by patients who are then eligible to claim a rebate from the government. You just may not be aware of that transaction. It is this rebate our tax money pays for. If you want more rebates, then tax rates need to go up. Out of the the kindness of their hearts (or by being pressured by patients who undervalue their expertise), some may chose to reduce their fees to match these rebate, but they have no obligation to do so.

    If you want bulk billing services, you are welcome to seek out a BB clinic. BB clinics by nature are not sustainable unless they shave down allotted consultation times for assessing, diagnosing, and managing patients. BB clinic doctors are usually left with needing to see 5-6 patients per hour + squeeze-ins, so that leaves you very little time to describe your symptoms, for the doctor to conduct a physical examination, to order appropriate investigations and prescribe appropriate treatment. BB GPs end up having to cut a lot of corners. I feel paying a small gap (still much less than many other professions), adds a lot of value, that could really do you good in the future.

    I think it's very unlikely that people will die because they 'can't afford' a gap. People may priortise spending their money on other things (alcohol, cigarettes, holidays, cutting edge mobile phone technology etc) then get upset that they have to shell out $20-30 once every couple of months to see a doctor who has spent 10+ years training to get where they are. If you genuinely can't afford the gap, most GPs will bulk bill because they value your health over their income.

    • Ozbargainlyf on 03/05/2018 - 15:11
      +2

      Can we sticky this? Informative to all the idiots out there that dont understand how medicare works.

      The other thing is you have to value your own time as well. If you go to BB clinics, 9 out of 10 times you wait 1+hr.

  • nikey2k27 on 03/05/2018 - 09:25
    +1

    Easy find someone bull bill my GP dose

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 09:35
    +1

    Can I claim bulk billing for my time being wasted by a troll who joined Ozbargain just to wind the members up?

  • imahapyboy on 03/05/2018 - 10:02
    +1

    then you go live at Europe, easy

  • Alpacino299 on 03/05/2018 - 10:36
    +1

    First of all not all doctors bulk bill.
    Second of all they are not greedy as your post makes them out to be, in fact the government contribution to the cost of seeing patients hasn't risen much at all for years and certainly not enough to cover the rate of inflation, so many doctors are actually absorbing inflated costs themselves.
    So if you must complain, direct your complaints to the current party in power the lnp for there's no ozbargainer solution to making the costs of seeing a patient disappear.

  • Gloriaaa on 03/05/2018 - 10:41
    +10

    I think Stephanie knew very well what a Bulk Bill practice is and where she can locate one, prior to posting this thread.

    What she wants to learn however, is to how to manipulate her GP who:

    • is generous with time, and not anxious to see the next patient.
    • is thorough and takes her seriously and listen "carefully" to her problems.
    • does not respond to their text messages etc. while seeing the patients.
    • …

    But she doesn't want to pay for the decent service she receives.

    OP's trying to claim her time being wasted in the waiting room in order not to pay for the services she receives from her GP, is like someone who grabs a piece of hair from her head and puts it on the half-eaten plate, to refuse to pay for the meal she just had. If you can't afford fine dining, go to McDonald's next time, choice is yours.

    Thanks for the laughter though.

  • ozoner on 03/05/2018 - 10:58
    +5

    The entitlement is strong in this one…

  • jon on 03/05/2018 - 11:43
    +6

    Posted this before on a similar thread -

    GP rebate: What I do for the $37.05 that no one wants to pay
    https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/gp-rebate-what-i-do-for-the-3…

    "Of that $70, 35 per cent goes to the practice for rent, electricity, equipment, and to pay the receptionist and nurse. After tax, my Medicare levy and student debt, I receive $24.56.
    But I bulk-billed him, which means I made $13.01. That dizzying sum covers sick, holiday and maternity leave, superannuation and about $8000 a year in fees, insurance and continuing training."

      • payton on 03/05/2018 - 19:47
        +2

        Theres no reason one person cant do both

        impractical to do.

        the phone ringing frequently with questions, cancellations, changes, confirming appointments etc
        taking new patient details, explaining things to them
        taking payments, printing receipts, dealing with walk-ins

        plus nurse can't just dash to the phone while they're with a patient
        also, how can they have a lunch/break?

        • ninetyNineCents on 05/05/2018 - 23:10
          -4

          P: plus nurse can't just dash to the phone while they're with a patient

          99: THe nurse can have a break at the same time as the doctor.

          P: also, how can they have a lunch/break?

          99: Yes answering machines and having people call back is an impossible idea.

          P: taking new patient details, explaining things to them

          99: Explaining what ? The paitents is there to explain to the doctor not hte nurse.

          Taking a persons name takes moments, that leaves plenty of time for them to assist in nursely duties if necessary.

          P: taking payments, printing receipts, dealing with walk-ins

          99: Well if the nurse is helping the doctor with the paitent, then they cant very well be printing receipts.

          P: he phone ringing frequently with questions, cancellations, changes, confirming appointments etc

          99: Are you really going to pretend that a doctor gets dozens of these calls every hour ? Why would a doctor getting 3 -4 patients an hour be receiving multiple cancellations every hour ? Im sure if the nurse helps 10mins out of an hour, its hardly a major disaster if people call back.

          Most visits to the doctor dont need a nurse. The "nurse" isnt with the doctor ALL day long. We have all been to medical centers with 5 doctors and 1 nurse and the nurse is never flat out busy nonstop. ONe major duty of nurses is too take blood, and that in itself doesnt happen to EVERY SINGLE VISIT, so your claim is idiotic and false.

      • Tech5 on 03/05/2018 - 20:18
        +11

        Your post is the biggest load of bullshit on this thread so far. Lets work it out, 6 appointments an hour, 8 hours a day makes 48 appointments. Lets add another 10 who wanted an appointment. That makes 58 possible phone calls to pick up in one day. Lets add another 4 phone calls from other specialists and imaging practices, we have 62.

        That is 62 phone calls to answer in one day, or roughly 8 an hour, or 1 every 8 minutes.

        Now lets consider those 48 patients walking in the door, and add another 4 that need to be turned away. That makes 52 people who walk in the door. Add the daily delivery man and that makes 53. Add 4 disturbances of any nature that happen a lot during the day. That makes 57 people walking in.

        Add that to the 62 phone calls makes 119 interruptions through the day, or one every 4 minutes.

        You want a doctor to see 48 patients through the day and also deal with an interuption every 4 minutes. Does that sound feasible to you?

        You are speaking from a position of want. You want doctors to be cheap, you want them to give you enough time, you want them to give you the attention you deserve. Ever heard of "Quality, efficiency, cheap. Pick two?"

        You got blinkers on mate.

        • ninetyNineCents on 05/05/2018 - 23:14
          -6

          T: Lets work it out, 6 appointments an hour, 8 hours a day makes 48 appointments.

          99: More than half of people just walk in. If half of their paitents are walking in and the other half are phoning appoitments, that means the doctor is helping 12 people an hour, which is BOLLOCKS.

          If they are getting that many calls per hour that means some people will get busy signals, which means they can call back. Its not a big deal if they have to call back.

          T: Lets add another 10 who wanted an appointment. That makes 58 possible phone calls to pick up in one day. Lets add another 4 phone calls from other specialists and imaging practices, we have 62.

          99: Wow so your doctor is doing 60 consultations from phone appoinments PLUS walks in just 8 hours ? Are you really going to tell me they are doing 10-15 consultations per hour ?

          Do you know how to add ?

        • ninetyNineCents on 05/05/2018 - 23:16
          -6

          T: You want doctors to be cheap, you want them to give you enough time, you want them to give you the attention you deserve. Ever heard of "Quality, efficiency, cheap. Pick two?"

          99: I never mentioned the word "cheap" anywhere ,im just saying dont tell bullshit porkies.

          T: You want a doctor to see 48 patients through the day and also deal with an interuption every 4 minutes.

          Now lets consider those 48 patients walking in the door, and add another 4 that need to be turned away. That makes 52 people who walk in the door. Add the daily delivery man and that makes 53.

          99: How is the doctor managing to many patients per hour right now according to your figures ?

      • blerk on 04/05/2018 - 15:24
        -2

        There's no reason one person can't do both…? Time juggling issues aside, please advise who are all these nurses who slog through 3 years of uni (inc 800 hours of unpaid placements) in order to use their skill set on answering phones to arrange appointments and to process payments? Very few would exist and I dare say AHPRA would not take too kindly to those tasks in an audit for recency of practice, potentially risking their nursing registration.

        • Tech5 on 04/05/2018 - 18:19
          +1

          Unless you are a nurse or a doctor, you should not be speaking at all. You do not know the realities of practice, and can only guess. Most practices use a dedicated receptionist. You complain of nurses getting done by ahpra. But when it comes to the doctor it doesnt matter?

        • ninetyNineCents on 06/05/2018 - 16:04
          -4

          @Tech5:

          yeh b ecause having an opinion about answering the phone requires years of experience.

        • Tech5 on 06/05/2018 - 16:05

          @ninetyNineCents:

          No because having opinions on how much work needs to be done in a doctors office does. Is it not obvious already that noone agrees with you?

        • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2018 - 17:22

          @Tech5:
          A lot of us disagree and agree on several points of the same topic but this person is consistently absurd. Entertaining though.

        • ninetyNineCents on 07/05/2018 - 17:36

          @tshow:

          @TS

          Wow you are classy, an adhom and claim from authority.

          If i make so many absurd cases then why havent you been ablke to disprove them using "facts" ?

          Why is it absurd to suggest that the doctor and staff have lunch at the same time ?

          WHy is it absurd to suggest that no doctor receives that many appiontments (6 per hour) continuously every hour of every day every week ?

        • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2018 - 19:07

          @ninetyNineCents:
          Ad hom. Ad hom. Ad hom

          I'm right, you're wrong. Ad hom.

          Ps. Where is that "claim from authority"? Care to quote something for this one?

        • blerk on 15/05/2018 - 12:19

          [@Tech5](/comment/5914374/redir Were you replying to me? I am one and the struggle for professionalism still exists. Too many laypeople see us as doctor’s handmaidens already. Having half-receptionist/half-nurses harms industrial relations and the PR of the profession (in addition to the “who would want to”/“it has risks” points above). This is at a time when we need to recruit and retrain heaps more nurses for the coming aged care tsunami. Please don’t devalue our existing skill set by encouraging adding reception duties. There’s a bigger picture at stake.

          I am all for dedicated non-nursing receptionists. I cannot speak for doctors, no idea what they have to go through with AHPRA.

  • payton on 03/05/2018 - 12:02
    +14

    Hookers in Australia are so expensive when it should be free. In Amsterdam hookups are free. How do you get a hooker to bulk bill you? I have tried the following which have not worked:

    • Tell her how long you've gone without and it wouldn't be fair to charge
    • Say 'just a quick one' and drop pants
    • Usually they won't charge for some smooth talk, so say you just need to flirt then talk about the girlfriend experience.
    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 12:11
      +5

      Escorts train to provide a service, not to rip off lonesome people in need of love. Should not be about money.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 06/05/2018 - 10:17

      How do you make a hormone? Don't pay her!

  • abuch47 on 03/05/2018 - 15:58
    +1

    I completely disagree I believe it should be a small copayment everytime but offer more services such as dental, more mental health etc. This stops people abusing the system a little while also alleviates budget pressure slightly were medicare is a huge and growing cost.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 16:20
    +1

    Ask your government to pay a reasonable rebate for the GPs services and you will find more clinics bulk billing. As it is now, its hard for them to run a business without doing 5 minute medicine bulk billed. Same goes for radiology services. The medicare rebates are shitty, so they charge more than it. If medicare actually paid for the service you won't be charged. Now you could say 'Oh but they'll just take that more money and charge on top anyway!' Well some providers will, but competition is a wonderful thing. Who's going to Queensland Xray for that MRI for $800 when a provider a block away is offering it for 'free'? Same for GPs.

    Also re: the scripts, some clinics you can specify when you book it that you just need a script, and the doctor may just write you one to collect it, or book a very quick appointment so they can write it for you, and likely just bulk bill you. However keep in mind that if they don't know you and know your history, only a very shitty doctor is going to just bash out a script for you in this way.

    A good GP is invaluable. If you have to pay a little to have one, I think its an extremely worthwhile investment.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 17:14
    +1

    Sounds like someone who posted on Whirlpool.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 18:57

    There are bulk billing places, but i wouldn't trust their medico's.
    It's also harder to get consistent service - important in this area.

    I struck a deal with my GP - yes, a deal.

    She was charging me full rate for a short consult (Item 23) - that put me out of pocket about $30-$35.
    I explained that was impacting my behaviour - i wouldn't see her unless my leg was falling off.
    So we arranged that from then on i'd always book a long consult (Item 36), and pay $85 - i end up out of pocket about $15.
    This made it worthwhile for her, increased my attendance rate, and $15 is not enough to slow me down.

    It was a little odd last i was there as i had to think of more things to ask about to stretch the appointment out.

    I've never known a specialist to bulk bill, unless the patient is another medico.
    Medico's always get bulk billed, regardless of the circumstances, as they're all part of the same tribe.

    • gimme on 04/05/2018 - 16:45
      +1

      technically fraud but each to their own.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2018 - 17:14

        It may well be, and if not at least a manipulation of a dysfunctional framework.

        No one will be placing fluffy cuffs on me any time soon.

        • DavidFong on 06/05/2018 - 00:05

          The penalties for fraud involve the doctor paying back the ill-gotten fees to Medicare Australia, plus a fine, being 'supervised' or completely suspended from providing Medicare-rebateable services for a period of time, and perhaps even being suspended from medical practice altogether by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority.

          The risk for committing fraud completely lies with the doctor, lucky you!

          Having said that, if you are spending the extra few minutes on preventative health-care etc., then you could classify yourself as a 'good patient', and ultimately might be saving the Medicare system some money.

        • ninetyNineCents on 06/05/2018 - 16:06

          @DavidFong:

          wow id love the ability to rob a bank and the penalty is just paying back the amount plus a fine. Im sure everyone would like such a sweet deal.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2018 - 17:14

          @ninetyNineCents:
          The penalty is not just paying back the amount plus a fine.

          It is a big fine that can amount to hundreds of thousands depending on number of incidents, and forfeiting a qualification that took a decade to obtain.

          Once again, your ability to cherry pick points provides entertainment.

        • ninetyNineCents on 07/05/2018 - 17:46

          @tshow:

          TS:
          It is a big fine that can amount to hundreds of thousands depending on number of incidents, and forfeiting a qualification that took a decade to obtain.

          99: So what if it took time to obtain their qual, should we then let them off the fine because they studied hard to get there ?

          Lots of people study hard to get to their positions, that doesnt mean we let them off drink driving chargers,.

          ~

          TS: Once again, your ability to cherry pick points provides entertainment.

          99: Just look at your absurd attempt at saying but they pay a big fine…

          WHy shoudl they be paying a fine, when everyone else often goes to jail ?

        • [Deactivated] on 07/05/2018 - 19:09

          @ninetyNineCents:
          They go to jail to. Fraud is a criminal offense. Common law applies to everyone. Doctors have additional penalties. We were talking about additional penalties as common law applies to everyone.

          Because common law is common. Everyone is common.

    • Save Medicare on 05/05/2018 - 09:10

      lol I wouldn't say always

      Both myself and several colleagues have been out of pocket hundreds of dollars for medical imaging

  • grr1701 on 03/05/2018 - 19:05

    You have to get a referral from a GP before you see a specialist, so the GP can determine whether you actually NEED to see a specialist. If you could just book to see a specialist for ANY issue you had, the waiting times for those in genuine need would be horrendous. Don’t know how it pans out in Europe, but this system works fine in Australia. Unless you want to handpick your GP; in which case, pay for the priveledge.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 19:06

      You need a referral in order to make a Medicare claim.

      • Tech5 on 03/05/2018 - 20:22

        Most specialists will not see you without a referral. The ones that do see you won't be able to put any on Medicare

        • icejester on 03/05/2018 - 23:58
          -1

          They charge the full amount anyway. The medicare rebate doesn't mean much to them.
          If they don't see you without a referral then they're being dodgy

        • Jikx on 04/05/2018 - 10:52

          @icejester:

          The medicare rebate is a significant portion, and it also means if you need an operation they also can't charge that to medicare, and also the longer term regular monitoring post-operation/management which is often done by GPs would have to be done by them as well.

          That's why specialist want a proper referral from a GP, and why most will simply refuse to see people without a referral. And why wouldn't pay even a $30 out of pocket to save $200? It's you who would appear dodgy, not the doctor.

  • ninetyNineCents on 03/05/2018 - 19:16

    Healthcare should be free. Share your strategies on how to be bulk billed.

    I cant believe some people are so cheap they cry if they have to pay a few dollars FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH !!!

    Do you want the government to give you a house and car and holidays ?

    • OzzyOzbourne on 06/05/2018 - 10:22

      Well, don't forget that it used to be free, ie. You pay in advance with your taxes, not at the point of service. Now we pay with our taxes AND at the point of service.
      It's also good for the economy to have healthy people, who can work and pay taxes. It's very short sighted to think otherwise.

      • ninetyNineCents on 07/05/2018 - 17:50

        OO: Well, don't forget that it used to be free, ie. You pay in advance with your taxes, not at the point of service. Now we pay with our taxes AND at the point of service.

        99: Well unfortunately when things are free some minority groups abuse the system. In this case doctors have had it too good and are greedy and want more and more, just like some others (dolebludgers want free medicare forever so they can get medical certificates).

        OO: t's also good for the economy to have healthy people, who can work and pay taxes.

        99: Most people that goto the doctor dont pay taxes. ALl those pensions who make unnecessary constant visits they dont pay taxes. In fact over half of australia takes more in gov benefits than they pay taxes.

        Your claim is a misnomer, most people would be better off without medicare and pay their own way. Nobody needs unlimited doctor visits, theres something wrong if you need to visit a doctor that often that paying $20 is an issue. If you are crying because you spend $150 a year on doctors, theres something really wrong with you.

  • busky2k on 03/05/2018 - 19:23
    +9

    I am a GP registrar and I do understand that people can get frustrated being charged a gap. I personally bulk bill the bulk majority of my patients however my I can charge a gap if I feel this is indicated, as patients already know that our practice do not bulk bill anyone >16 yo or those with no centrelink concessions.

    Like everyone else has said, you have your freedom of choice and noone is forcing you to visit a GP whom charges a gap. It annoys me that people understand that going to a vet, dentist or any allied health (eg physio) means that you're automatically going to fork out potentially hundreds of dollars yet to see a GP its outrageous that we charge a - from what I would say comparitively is - small gap. I might see someone whom comes in with a wound and I'd be applying $15 worth of dressings and bulk bill the consult - we probably lost money once the usual overheads and dressings came into account.

    I enjoy what I do and try to help whenever I can and I believe that if I do charge a gap, I work hard that the patient is satisfied with the quality of service provided. You may have to hunt around until you find the right GP that suits your needs - whether they're bulk bill or not.

  • Ulysses31 on 03/05/2018 - 19:52

    Can’t tell if serious or ret….

    Ireland is part of Europe, and sitting across the desk from a doctor cost me 65 EURO before they’d even talk to me.

    In the UK, I couldn’t get a ventolin inhaler unless i went to the hospital, or had a script. To see a doctor, they treated me like a gypsy & wanted everything short of a stool sample. Only then, everything was free.

    • Hahuh on 06/05/2018 - 01:48

      One of the reasons why I can't stand people preaching laws, culture anything because it's in the same bloody continent.

      Unless they are in the EU, this "In Europe" mentality needs to stop.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/05/2018 - 20:17
    +3

    The trick is to go to a "Bulk Billing Practice" and then ask for a "Mental Health Care Plan". They will give you a short questionnaire and then 6 Medicare covered Psych sessions to help sort out your delusions.

  • tik tok on 03/05/2018 - 21:02
    -2

    In Europe healthcare is free

    Really ? Which country ?
    It isn't 'free' in Germany, Scandinavian countries and a handful of other EU Nations.

  • sharks on 03/05/2018 - 21:07

    Be dying on dialysis and they will bulk bill everything you need

  • lonix on 03/05/2018 - 21:12

    Gonna take one guess and say that OP is Italian, that is the most Italian rant I've ever read, please correct me if I'm wrong.

  • Livert on 03/05/2018 - 21:14

    I have an idea. How about you go through 10 years of medical training so you can provide free medical care for everyone?

  • IWoNdEr on 03/05/2018 - 21:44
    -1

    https://www.vox.com/2018/5/1/17261488/er-expensive-medical-b…

    Aren't you glad you are not living in US?

    or maybe you should try look for posts in usbargain for tips.

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