The Princess Park Clinic in Shepparton, 181km northwest of Melbourne, will start charging up to $250 for home visits, less any rebates; $15 per script; and $300 per hour for paperwork.
Previously Medicare funding covered the costs of home visits for aged care patients, but the clinic’s management says the Federal Government’s freeze on rebates has left it increasingly out-of-pocket.
Shepparton Retirement Villages chief executive Kerri Rivett told the local paper that many residents would find it impossible to cover the costs of a doctor visit or a $15 charge for a script, and her facilities may be forced to call an ambulance if a doctor could not be sourced.
The Clinic’s Alan Wallace said local GPs were meeting this week to discuss the issue but says aged care homes needed to accept some of the responsibility for the crisis.
“I think the time has come for these facilities to look at their business models,” he said.
“It’s not just rebates alone, it’s not just the funding to general practices, it’s also the fact that when doctors are going to visit aged-care facilities they can’t find the nurse or there isn’t a nurse.”
The news underscores last week’s story here that revealed one in three doctors plan to cut back on or end aged care visits due to increasing costs and paperwork.
