Bulk-billing doctors can soon apply for a grant from a million-dollar funding pool to expand their practices, a move that will allow more Canberrans access to bulk-billed healthcare, ACT health minister Meegan Fitzharris said.
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The ACT by far has the lowest bulk-billling rates of any state or territory in Australia at 56 per cent, 27.1 per cent lower than the national average.
Ms Fitzharris said the $1 million would be doled out over three years and would allow bulk-billing clinics to establish new or expand existing practices by hiring more health professionals.
"That may be a GP or it might be a GP clinic to provide additional allied healthcare services such as physiotherapists, dietitians or psychologists to support patients to access bulk billed health services," Ms Fitzharris said.
Ms Fitzharris said said while the lift of the Medicare freeze would eventually bring more players into the ACT market, the government grants would jump start the process.
"We do know we need to expand affordable and accessible health care in Canberra - that means more bulk billing and the government's investment in this grants program will certainly contribute to improving access to bulk billing GPs across Canberra," she said.
Australian Medical Association ACT president Dr Steve Robson welcomed the grants as a "modest but positive start" to helping raise the ACT's low bulk-billing rates.
National Health Co-Op general manager and deputy chief executive Blake Wilson said since they opened the first of their eight practices in 2010, the rate of bulk billing in the ACT has increased by 20 per cent.
The Co-Op owns half of all bulk-billing centres in Canberra and has more than 35,000 members, about one-tenth of the city.
Despite this, Mr Wilson said there was still a shortfall of about 100 general practitioners in the ACT.
If they gained a grant, the Co-Op would look to open extra centres, which would go some way to alleviating the doctor deficit, Mr Wilson said.
"We currently have six in Belconnen, two in Tuggeranong we'd really like to increase the number in Tuggeranong significantly because there's a massive need here and there's a need through the rest of the city but we're also looking across the country," he said.
Since we've started [our clinics] the rate of bulk billing has been raised from about 35 per cent to about 55 per cent now but we're still well short of other states and territories around the country so by continuing to add to that supply, increasing the numbers of GPs that are available we'll be able to turn that around and increase access to affordable health care."
Ms Fitzharris, Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Member for Brindabella Joy Burch were in Tuggeranong on Tuesday announcing a raft of funding measures which will be in next Tuesday's budget.
The government also announced $8 million for improvements in the Tuggeranong, Kambah and Gungahlin town centres, funding which was foreshadowed before the election.
Tuggeranong will get $3 million for new cycle lanes, a raised pedestrian zone and better lighting, street furniture and landscaping.
About $2 million will be spent on new toilets, an upgraded, shaded playground and new paving, shading and seating around Kambah Village.
Another $3 million will go towards improving the pedestrian and cycle pathways between Gungahlin Place and Gozzard Street in Gungahlin.
