Older Australians living in residential aged care will continue to have access to bulk-billed GP services following a federal government decision to amend planned changes that had raised concerns across the sector.
Ageing Australia has welcomed the move, praising Federal Health, Disability and Ageing Minister Mark Butler for responding to warnings that proposed changes to bulk billing arrangements could have disrupted access to medical care for many aged care residents.
The peak body said it had been working closely with the minister and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing over recent weeks to address concerns surrounding changes to the Assignment of Benefits process that were due to take effect on 1 July.
Under the original arrangements, some residents may have been required to provide documented consent for each GP visit, including telehealth consultations, in order to access bulk-billed services. Providers argued this would create practical difficulties for residents who are unable to physically sign documents or who lack the capacity to provide consent for every individual appointment.
Ageing Australia chief executive Tom Symondson said the organisation had focused on ensuring residents could continue to access bulk-billed medical care without unnecessary administrative barriers.
“We have been focused on ensuring all aged care residents can continue to access bulk-billed appointments with GPs, even if they are unable to physically sign agreements or lack the capacity to provide documented consent for every individual service,” he said.
Mr Symondson said the organisation had worked intensively with government officials over the past month to secure changes that would protect continuity of care.
“Requiring documented consent for each GP visit, including telehealth consultations, is completely impractical for many aged care residents,” he said.
He said access to doctors should be made as straightforward as possible for older people and welcomed the government’s decision to revise the arrangements.
The changes announced by the federal government include maintaining verbal assignment of benefit arrangements for all bulk-billed patients during a 12-month transition period, removing the immediate need for a physical signature at every appointment.
The government will also fast-track amendments allowing aged care residents to establish an enduring assignment of benefit for ongoing bulk-billed GP services, either directly or through a person authorised to act on their behalf.
Residents will also be able to enter into multiple enduring agreements with different medical practitioners, providing greater flexibility in managing their healthcare needs.
The government’s response has been welcomed by aged care providers, who argued the original requirements risked creating additional hurdles for some of the sector’s most vulnerable residents. The revised arrangements are expected to provide greater certainty for providers while helping ensure older Australians can continue receiving timely medical care.
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