Townsville in Top 10 Most Expensive Queensland Electorates To See a GP
Herbert has been revealed as the eighth most expensive federal electorate in the state to visit a GP as local doctors struggle with low Medicare rebates and a ridiculous new Queensland Government tax.
Herbert MP Phillip Thompson said the figures, compiled by online healthcare directory Cleanbill, were a symptom of Labor governments at both the state and federal levels failing to address a key contributing factor of the cost-of-living crisis.
“This research has revealed the average out-of-pocket cost for a standard 15-minute consultation in Townsville is $42.49, with only 36% of practices fully bulk-billing,” Mr Thompson said.
“In the context of increased prices of electricity, fuel and groceries, this is simply unaffordable for many people at the moment.
“Our local doctors and GP practices do a fantastic job, but they’re continually being asked to do more and more for less and less.
“I’m constantly contacted by locals who tell me it’s extremely difficult to get into a bulk-billing GP which means they either go without the health care they desperately need, or are forced to go the Emergency Department at the hospital.”
Mr Thompson called on the Albanese Labor Government to increase the Medicare rebate, and urged the State Labor Government to exempt GPs from payroll tax, following a recent tribunal ruling which found that tenant GPs who pay a percentage of their earnings to a clinic, rather being on a paid wage, count as employees for payroll tax purposes.
“Payroll tax is a bad tax to begin with – it penalises employers for creating jobs. But for GPs, it’s never been something they’ve had to worry because they are individual contractors – not employees,” he said.
“If they have to now pay this ‘sick tax’, that will only increase the amounts they need to charge patients and we’ll see bulk billing a thing of the past, which is the last thing our community needs.”
Mr Thompson raised the concerns during the most recent sitting of Parliament.
ENDS