A survey by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has revealed that no matter how large the incentive, more than half their General Practitioner (GP) members - 54% or 1,587 GPs - do not wish to deliver aged care services.
The survey, which asked GPs if various incentive rates would be sufficient for them to visit aged care residents, included a final option: "I would not provide aged care services regardless of incentives." This option attracted 54% of the survey's responses.
Dr Anthony Marinucci, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Aged Care, said increasing administrative burdens and lack of out-of-hours support are the main reasons GPs are reluctant to deliver services in residential aged care, newsGP, the RACGP's news source, has reported.
"But I would suggest that a leading reason is the lack of funding and poor remuneration," he said.
"This complexity of care is 100% not captured in the current fee-for-service Medicare model and one of the chief complaints of GPs around the country who work in the sector is that a large proportion of their work goes unremunerated because it doesn’t satisfy MBS criteria."
The survey is based on the Government's proposed new General Practice in Aged Care Incentive, which is in addition to existing Medicare Benefits Scheme rebates, and is only months away from being delivered. However, GPs have raised concerns the program's rules are too strict and the incentives too low.
Under the initiative announced last year, GPs must provide eight consultations and two care plans to a residential aged care patient every year to be eligible for a $300 per year payment. $130 per patient per year will be paid to the GP's practice.
The payments will be quarterly, and are available to GPs signed up to MyMedicare, the Government's new voluntary patient registration system that aims to 'formalise' the relationship between patients, their general practice, and GPs.
Only 1% of respondents said a $300 incentive would be sufficient to encourage them to provide eight consultations and two care plans to an aged care residents every year.
Just over one third of respondents said $1,100 would be sufficient - more than three times the incentive on offer.
