Fed: GPs to earn more from longer consultations

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2009
Fed: GPs to earn more from longer consultations

MELBOURNE, Dec 14 AAP - Doctors who spend more time with patients will be rewarded
better under a revamp of Medicare fees, Health Minister Nicola Roxon says.

The federal government announced on Monday changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule
(MBS) which it hopes will encourage longer GP consultations and a greater emphasis on
preventative health.

From May, GPs spending 20 minutes or more with a patient will earn $66.45, up by $1.25,
while sessions of more than 40 minutes will increase by $1.85 to $97.80.

Medicare fees for standard consultations of about 12 minutes will remain unchanged at $34.30.

"Instead of having 85 different item numbers, we now have 33 - it means doctors don't
have to be scrambling around to find the right number and are able to spend that extra
time with patients," Ms Roxon told reporters.

"It sends a signal for doctors that there is a reward for spending longer time with
patients when they needed and at the same time paying an appropriate amount for very fast
consultations."

She said the changes delivered on the Rudd government promise to reduce red tape and
to make sure doctors are rewarded for spending more time dealing with preventative health
issues and chronic diseases.

"This is about making sure that the Medicare schedule - the amount of money paid by
the government to doctors - recognises the difference between a very short consultation
and a longer consultation," Ms Roxon said.

"There's been a lot of work done with GPs to get the description right so that it fits
the reality of general practice as described to us by doctors."

AAP jxt/cmb/gfr/jl

KEYWORD: MEDICARE ROXON

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.