The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) welcomes today’s announcement by the Federal Government that it will boost bulk billing incentives to improve healthcare provision in rural and remote communities.
The Rural Bulk Billing Incentive (RBBI), which comes into effect in 2022, will improve healthcare access for patients and incentivise doctors to work in regional, rural and remote communities.
ACRRM President Dr Sarah Chalmers says today’s announcement of the RBBI by Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt and Minister for Regional Health Mark Coulton recognises the challenges Rural Generalists and rural General Practitioners face.
“This is a significant investment, estimated at $65.8million, providing confidence that the government is serious about improving healthcare for people living outside the urban footprint,” Dr Chalmers says.
“It’s a known fact that rural and remote communities have poorer health outcomes in comparison to their urban counterparts and rural and remote primary health care provision costs more to run and faces greater workforce pressures.
“The College has long advocated for supports which address the health inequalities in rural and remote Australia and this investment has the potential to significantly increase access to high quality health services.
“In our pre-budget submission, the College recognises the work being undertaken to reform primary care funding models and supports the government’s ongoing efforts to restore sustainability to rural and remote practices and health services.
“Part of this reform is the National Rural Generalist Pathway (NRGP) which is designed to attract more doctors to rural and remote areas to improve patient access, reduce hospital admissions and minimise the need for travel.
“The RBBI supports the College’s vision of having the right doctors in the right places delivering high quality healthcare to rural and remote communities.
“We welcome all investment in rural and remote healthcare and look forward to further announcements in Tuesday’s Federal Budget.”