'Waiting too long': bulk-billing push amid high costs to see specialists

The Advertiser

18-05-2025

People in the Hunter health network are much less likely to attend a specialist than wealthy Sydney areas, prompting a call for "fully bulk-billed specialty clinics" in the region.
The cost of seeing a specialist and long wait times to book appointments are causing widespread anger and frustration.
Professor Jennifer Martin, of University of Newcastle, said "bulk-billed specialty clinics and outreach services" were needed in the Hunter.
She said this was especially the case "for specialities that are under-represented and difficult to access".
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data showed specialist attendances in the Hunter network were 89.3 per 100 people in 2023-24.
This means that, on average, 89.3 Medicare-subsidised specialist visits were made for every 100 people in the network, which includes New England and Central Coast.
This was below areas including Northern Sydney (123), Central and Eastern Sydney (118.7), Nepean Blue Mountains (108.5) and South Western Sydney (103.4).
Professor Martin, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), said "people in rural and regional Australia, including in the Hunter, are waiting far too long to see medical specialists".
"Many are forced to travel long distances for specialist consultations, while others are simply missing out altogether," Professor Martin said.
"There aren't enough generalists who are well supported to go to regional sites and stay."
In recent industrial action, doctors highlighted long waitlists for specialists in endoscopy, ENT (ear, nose and throat) and gynaecology in the Hunter.
Long waits for orthopaedic and gastroenterology services have also been reported.
Meanwhile, GPs have raised concerns that their fees are publicly available in Medicare reports, but specialists' fees are not.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said recently that a re-elected Albanese government would "help Australians find the best value" among specialists.
Mr Butler promised to "fix the former government's failed price disclosure tool, the Medical Costs Finder".
The $7 million project would "analyse annual Medicare, hospital and insurer data for every common medical service".
It would display the average fee that each specialist doctor charged, alongside the national average for that service.
"Fees can vary widely across specialists, even for the same procedure in the same part of Australia," he said.
Professor Martin said access to healthcare and being able to afford it were key issues.
"Unfortunately, Medicare rebates over many years have not kept pace with inflation, impacting both patients and doctors," she said.
"Additionally, governments control the supply of specialists through training places and scarcity impacts costs."
She said the federal government "needs to expand bulk-billing incentive payments to specialists as well as GPs for key priority populations".
This included those in rural and remote areas who "experience higher rates of complex and chronic diseases than people in the cities".
"Publicly-funded access to specialists will have a positive flow-on effect from investing in preventive health."
She said this would ease hospital pressures and "expand access to the communities who need it most".
Professor Martin urged the federal and state governments to "invest more in growing and supporting the medical workforce".
The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding found there were "insufficient financial incentives" for city-based specialists to "relocate to rural or regional areas".
In the inquiry report, released last week, Dr Nicholas Spooner said the staff specialists' award was "out of date in regard to remuneration and other conditions".
Dr Spooner, director of emergency medicine at Wyong Hospital, said this included "paying staff specialists less than other jurisdictions" and not paying them for "on-call work or overtime".
People in the Hunter health network are much less likely to attend a specialist than wealthy Sydney areas, prompting a call for "fully bulk-billed specialty clinics" in the region.
The cost of seeing a specialist and long wait times to book appointments are causing widespread anger and frustration.
Professor Jennifer Martin, of University of Newcastle, said "bulk-billed specialty clinics and outreach services" were needed in the Hunter.
She said this was especially the case "for specialities that are under-represented and difficult to access".
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data showed specialist attendances in the Hunter network were 89.3 per 100 people in 2023-24.
This means that, on average, 89.3 Medicare-subsidised specialist visits were made for every 100 people in the network, which includes New England and Central Coast.
This was below areas including Northern Sydney (123), Central and Eastern Sydney (118.7), Nepean Blue Mountains (108.5) and South Western Sydney (103.4).
Professor Martin, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), said "people in rural and regional Australia, including in the Hunter, are waiting far too long to see medical specialists".
"Many are forced to travel long distances for specialist consultations, while others are simply missing out altogether," Professor Martin said.
"There aren't enough generalists who are well supported to go to regional sites and stay."
In recent industrial action, doctors highlighted long waitlists for specialists in endoscopy, ENT (ear, nose and throat) and gynaecology in the Hunter.
Long waits for orthopaedic and gastroenterology services have also been reported.
Meanwhile, GPs have raised concerns that their fees are publicly available in Medicare reports, but specialists' fees are not.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said recently that a re-elected Albanese government would "help Australians find the best value" among specialists.
Mr Butler promised to "fix the former government's failed price disclosure tool, the Medical Costs Finder".
The $7 million project would "analyse annual Medicare, hospital and insurer data for every common medical service".
It would display the average fee that each specialist doctor charged, alongside the national average for that service.
"Fees can vary widely across specialists, even for the same procedure in the same part of Australia," he said.
Professor Martin said access to healthcare and being able to afford it were key issues.
"Unfortunately, Medicare rebates over many years have not kept pace with inflation, impacting both patients and doctors," she said.
"Additionally, governments control the supply of specialists through training places and scarcity impacts costs."
She said the federal government "needs to expand bulk-billing incentive payments to specialists as well as GPs for key priority populations".
This included those in rural and remote areas who "experience higher rates of complex and chronic diseases than people in the cities".
"Publicly-funded access to specialists will have a positive flow-on effect from investing in preventive health."
She said this would ease hospital pressures and "expand access to the communities who need it most".
Professor Martin urged the federal and state governments to "invest more in growing and supporting the medical workforce".
The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding found there were "insufficient financial incentives" for city-based specialists to "relocate to rural or regional areas".
In the inquiry report, released last week, Dr Nicholas Spooner said the staff specialists' award was "out of date in regard to remuneration and other conditions".
Dr Spooner, director of emergency medicine at Wyong Hospital, said this included "paying staff specialists less than other jurisdictions" and not paying them for "on-call work or overtime".
People in the Hunter health network are much less likely to attend a specialist than wealthy Sydney areas, prompting a call for "fully bulk-billed specialty clinics" in the region.
The cost of seeing a specialist and long wait times to book appointments are causing widespread anger and frustration.
Professor Jennifer Martin, of University of Newcastle, said "bulk-billed specialty clinics and outreach services" were needed in the Hunter.
She said this was especially the case "for specialities that are under-represented and difficult to access".
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data showed specialist attendances in the Hunter network were 89.3 per 100 people in 2023-24.
This means that, on average, 89.3 Medicare-subsidised specialist visits were made for every 100 people in the network, which includes New England and Central Coast.
This was below areas including Northern Sydney (123), Central and Eastern Sydney (118.7), Nepean Blue Mountains (108.5) and South Western Sydney (103.4).
Professor Martin, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), said "people in rural and regional Australia, including in the Hunter, are waiting far too long to see medical specialists".
"Many are forced to travel long distances for specialist consultations, while others are simply missing out altogether," Professor Martin said.
"There aren't enough generalists who are well supported to go to regional sites and stay."
In recent industrial action, doctors highlighted long waitlists for specialists in endoscopy, ENT (ear, nose and throat) and gynaecology in the Hunter.
Long waits for orthopaedic and gastroenterology services have also been reported.
Meanwhile, GPs have raised concerns that their fees are publicly available in Medicare reports, but specialists' fees are not.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said recently that a re-elected Albanese government would "help Australians find the best value" among specialists.
Mr Butler promised to "fix the former government's failed price disclosure tool, the Medical Costs Finder".
The $7 million project would "analyse annual Medicare, hospital and insurer data for every common medical service".
It would display the average fee that each specialist doctor charged, alongside the national average for that service.
"Fees can vary widely across specialists, even for the same procedure in the same part of Australia," he said.
Professor Martin said access to healthcare and being able to afford it were key issues.
"Unfortunately, Medicare rebates over many years have not kept pace with inflation, impacting both patients and doctors," she said.
"Additionally, governments control the supply of specialists through training places and scarcity impacts costs."
She said the federal government "needs to expand bulk-billing incentive payments to specialists as well as GPs for key priority populations".
This included those in rural and remote areas who "experience higher rates of complex and chronic diseases than people in the cities".
"Publicly-funded access to specialists will have a positive flow-on effect from investing in preventive health."
She said this would ease hospital pressures and "expand access to the communities who need it most".
Professor Martin urged the federal and state governments to "invest more in growing and supporting the medical workforce".
The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding found there were "insufficient financial incentives" for city-based specialists to "relocate to rural or regional areas".
In the inquiry report, released last week, Dr Nicholas Spooner said the staff specialists' award was "out of date in regard to remuneration and other conditions".
Dr Spooner, director of emergency medicine at Wyong Hospital, said this included "paying staff specialists less than other jurisdictions" and not paying them for "on-call work or overtime".
People in the Hunter health network are much less likely to attend a specialist than wealthy Sydney areas, prompting a call for "fully bulk-billed specialty clinics" in the region.
The cost of seeing a specialist and long wait times to book appointments are causing widespread anger and frustration.
Professor Jennifer Martin, of University of Newcastle, said "bulk-billed specialty clinics and outreach services" were needed in the Hunter.
She said this was especially the case "for specialities that are under-represented and difficult to access".
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data showed specialist attendances in the Hunter network were 89.3 per 100 people in 2023-24.
This means that, on average, 89.3 Medicare-subsidised specialist visits were made for every 100 people in the network, which includes New England and Central Coast.
This was below areas including Northern Sydney (123), Central and Eastern Sydney (118.7), Nepean Blue Mountains (108.5) and South Western Sydney (103.4).
Professor Martin, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), said "people in rural and regional Australia, including in the Hunter, are waiting far too long to see medical specialists".
"Many are forced to travel long distances for specialist consultations, while others are simply missing out altogether," Professor Martin said.
"There aren't enough generalists who are well supported to go to regional sites and stay."
In recent industrial action, doctors highlighted long waitlists for specialists in endoscopy, ENT (ear, nose and throat) and gynaecology in the Hunter.
Long waits for orthopaedic and gastroenterology services have also been reported.
Meanwhile, GPs have raised concerns that their fees are publicly available in Medicare reports, but specialists' fees are not.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said recently that a re-elected Albanese government would "help Australians find the best value" among specialists.
Mr Butler promised to "fix the former government's failed price disclosure tool, the Medical Costs Finder".
The $7 million project would "analyse annual Medicare, hospital and insurer data for every common medical service".
It would display the average fee that each specialist doctor charged, alongside the national average for that service.
"Fees can vary widely across specialists, even for the same procedure in the same part of Australia," he said.
Professor Martin said access to healthcare and being able to afford it were key issues.
"Unfortunately, Medicare rebates over many years have not kept pace with inflation, impacting both patients and doctors," she said.
"Additionally, governments control the supply of specialists through training places and scarcity impacts costs."
She said the federal government "needs to expand bulk-billing incentive payments to specialists as well as GPs for key priority populations".
This included those in rural and remote areas who "experience higher rates of complex and chronic diseases than people in the cities".
"Publicly-funded access to specialists will have a positive flow-on effect from investing in preventive health."
She said this would ease hospital pressures and "expand access to the communities who need it most".
Professor Martin urged the federal and state governments to "invest more in growing and supporting the medical workforce".
The Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding found there were "insufficient financial incentives" for city-based specialists to "relocate to rural or regional areas".
In the inquiry report, released last week, Dr Nicholas Spooner said the staff specialists' award was "out of date in regard to remuneration and other conditions".
Dr Spooner, director of emergency medicine at Wyong Hospital, said this included "paying staff specialists less than other jurisdictions" and not paying them for "on-call work or overtime".