AN emergency meeting of Canberra’s general practitioners on Tuesday night unanimously condemned the ACT government’s decision to impose its new “patient tax”.

The meeting, organised by AMA ACT and RACGP and attended by GPs and practice representatives from across
Canberra, hit back at the ACT government, leaving little doubt that GPs will be forced to pass the tax on to patients.

Dr Kerrie Aust, AMA ACT president-elect and a GP in Wanniassa said the meeting was attended by practices and GPs representing more than 50 p[er cent of Canberra’s patients and they made it clear, the ACT government
doesn’t understand how general practice works, and the new patient tax will need to be passed through to patients.

“The only practical alternative to avoid this happening, is for general practices in the ACT to be exempt from the new
tax,” she said.
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said: “What’s also clear is that the ACT government doesn’t understand how bulk billing works. Their exemption from the new patient tax for practices that bulk bill 65 per cent of patients is flawed. It’s almost certain to fail at its first test with very few practices able to take it up and remain viable. If this happens, it will be devastating for the patients and communities that lose their GPs.
“Cherry picking bulk billing statistics from the covid era when patients were bulk billed for both receiving covid
vaccinations and using telehealth to see their GP, is no way to run health policy.
“The ACTgovernment needs to pay more attention to the fact that bulk-billing rates for ACT GP visits dropped from 71 p[er cent in 2021-22 to 53 per cent in 2022-23 when the covid-era bulk billed telehealth and vaccination arrangements ceased.”

Dr Aust said: “GPs tell us that the new patient tax will drive bulk billing rates lower. Neither GPs nor their patients want
this to happen, but unintended consequences often occur when governments don’t understand how general practice
works. Our concern is that both GPs and their patients now face this situation with the ACT government.”