Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 9:02:45 to 9:06:44
Examination of bulk billing rates for children under 16 in the ACT and updates on the staffing of government-funded bulk billing clinics in Tuggeranong.
Topics: Health, Government spending
Speakers: Senator David Pocock, Speaker 41, Speaker 42, Unknown Speaker, Senator Ellie Whiteaker
Uh I do. Uh Mary Warner, I'm the assistant secretary of the diagnostic imaging and pathology branch. So probably the uh the best thing to do is to look at the June quarter. So that's the most up to date um figures that we have on bulk billing rather than look at the last financial year. So 16 uh 16 and under, just confirming is that the bulk billing. So the bulk billing rate is uh for the June quarter in the ACT was 50%.
50% for children. What was it nationally?
Nationally. Oh, sorry, I sorry, please correct me. So 50% was for non-concession cardholders?
But under 16s?
Under 16s, just bear with me. Under 16 in the ACT for the June quarter. The bulk billing rate was 74.5%.
Thank you.
And the national the national bulk billing rate for under 16s is 91.9% for the June quarter.
Geez. There's your camera tax right there. Um five ish.
Short questions, long questions.
I thought the calls were going for like an hour and a half. Is that not the rotation?
Another five minutes, and then I'll have to write up the call.
Um to those um fully bulk builds practices that the government is is funding, and I obviously really welcome that that investment. Um understand from the last estimates there was supposed to be 10 at each, 10 GPs at each of the three clinics. Can I get a breakdown of how many doctors there are at each of the three clinics?
Mark Roddam, first assistant secretary primary care division. You're correct, Senator. There's uh around 10 at each clinic, but I would need to get the exact numbers for you on notice.
Um notice, could you give me the um head count and FTE for each of the the clinics? And then on interchange health, um, which is now renamed Toganong Family Medical Centre, uh, that was the $3.8 million to ensure that it couldn't continue services and remain a fully bulk billed uh clinic. Has that 3.8 million been paid to for health?
Uh it's over three years, Senator, so not all of the 3.8 million would be with for health yet.
Okay.
Um but I can get a breakdown for you on notice.
Thank you. And do you know how many doctors there are at that centre?
I don't, Senator, I need to provide that on the other.
Everyone notice if you can if you can also give me head count and um uh FTE. Um then I've got a few more on the opiate dependents work that they were doing. I've had a lot of concerns raised that that was one of the biggest um ODT um clinics in the territory, and I'm not sure if that's still the case.
Senator, the funding was to support the to continue the support for the patients that had been attending the interchange clinic. I've had heard similar concerns, but uh that funding is contingent upon those closements continuing to be supported.
So, do you have any indication of how many um of those uh ODTP patients remain at the practice?
I don't see. I mean, some may uh voluntarily sought care at another practice uh but we'll find what information we can for you.
So but that's part of the contract.
That's right, to continue the support.
If they don't do that, they don't get paid, or how does it work?
That's a deliverable in the contract.