Bulk billing will collapse unless GPs see an urgent and immediate increase to the incentive of at least $10, leading doctors’ groups say.

Australian Doctors Reform Society’s vice-president Robert Marr said the incentive was needed due to many GPs stopping bulk billing patients because Medicare was being underfunded.

“There needs to be a gradual move away from the old fee for service model of paying doctors that just rewards rapid throughput of patients to more effective health-outcomes based on 21st century funding models,” Dr Marr said.

“Medicare is on life support because many GPs are stopping bulk billing as a result of a decade of underfunding of Medicare.”

Relieving the pressure

The federal government is examining a planned overhaul of the Medicare system, including improvements to how primary care is delivered.

National cabinet is set to meet next week, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will discuss with state and territory counterparts ways to ease pressure on the system.

There have been calls to increase the number of GPs as a way to make Medicare more accessible to patients.

A nation-first program which aimed to make it easier for state health services to recruit and train GPs was launched by Mr Albanese and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Friday.

Single-employer model

That program will allow GP registrars the option to be employed by the Tasmanian Health Service and do their final placements in practices across the state rather than having to change employers and miss out on entitlements.

The Australian Medical Association has called for a single-employer model to provide GP trainees with wages and working conditions similar with doctors training in specialty areas.

Dr Marr said more was needed to be done to get more medical graduates becoming GPs.

“Australia risks destroying the reality of the local GP because only 13 per cent of Australian medical students want to be a GP as a result of decades of under funding and under valuing,” he said.

-AAP