(Bastian Seidel). (, President of (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners), Royal Australian Society of General Practitioners, Sydney Morning Herald)
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, some surgeons have begun to refuse to treat patients with mental illness and children because of the low rate of reimbursement of medical expenses for patients with complex conditions under the Australian Medicare system (Medicare), according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Instead, the current Medicare reimbursement system appears to "encourage" general practitioners to treat 10 patients within an hour.
It is understood that Australians can see doctors free of charge in clinics that support the transfer and payment of medical insurance cards, but Seidel (Bastian Seidel), president of the Royal Australian Institute of General Practitioners (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners), says that because of low economic returns, It is common for patients who refuse to attend a clinic for longer periods of time.
"they all said, 'only 10 minutes, and then the patient has to leave.' Some patients are also told,'if you come to see a mental health problem, you may have to look for something else. I'm afraid some clinics are refusing to accept children for the same reason. "
The longer the visit, the better for the patient, says Seidel, because it helps doctors understand the condition in greater detail. But most clinics that support the transfer of Medicare cards take only 10 to 15 minutes. At the same time, the number of Australians paying for medical insurance card transfers has hit a new record, with a rate of 85.8 percent.
Although more than 40 minutes of visits can also be reimbursed, doctors say patients who receive shorter visits earn more than the former. This has become an incentive for some clinics to reject difficult-to-sick patients.
The (Medicare Benefits Schedule) survey of Medicare benefits lists also found that some general practitioners who want to extend their visits have been unfairly "punished". One interviewee said that under the existing system, a general practitioner with 10 attendees an hour could earn up to A $380, compared with a total of A $152 per hour for four.
Some doctors point out that with the increase in complex cases, the current medical reimbursement system has been difficult to meet the practical needs. In addition, Seidel said many doctors fled economically underdeveloped areas to avoid bankruptcy because it was difficult to make a living on Medicare card transfer income alone.