There’s been a backlash against the Federal Government’s decision to cut telehealth services, including for telephone consultations which take more than 20 minutes.
The AMA has led the charge against what it considers an ill-informed decision by the new health minister to cut a number of telehealth services, including the item number which covers telephone consults over 20 minutes.
The AMA has been very public with its concerns as has the RACGP. This week the AMA and RACGP issued a joint media release urging the government to reverse the decision.
AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said, “These changes undermine the ability of patients to access their doctors, and in particular for GPs to prescribe antivirals for COVID-positive patients and will lead to costs elsewhere in the health system, including in overstretched hospitals.”
“This decision means telephone access to doctors will be significantly limited, hitting vulnerable patients hardest, including those who do not have access to high bandwidth internet and those who can’t operate the necessary IT systems.”
“Prescribing antivirals is time consuming, requiring a GP to consider complex eligibility requirements, contraindications and drug interactions and then arrange for patients to obtain the medication while isolating. Even simple cases take thirty minutes to an hour to properly complete.”
RACGP President, Professor Karen Price said given the growing number of COVID-19 cases and the unknown impacts of long COVID going forward, enabling access to longer telephone consultations was vital.
“GPs have told the RACGP the removal of Medicare patient rebates for longer phone consultations has reduced access to care and increased health gaps for vulnerable patients,” Professor Price said.
“This includes rural communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, older people, people with disability and mental health concerns, many of whom already have poorer health outcomes than the general population,” Dr Price said.
