Some Queensland pensioners are rationing life-saving medication because they can’t afford a GP visit to renew their prescriptions. It comes as GPs warn a consultation could rise by $15 as they pass on the cost of a payroll tax.
The healthcare system in Queensland is facing a dramatic shift that could see the cost of visiting a GP drastically increase. The two peak medical bodies are warning of an impending clash between tax law and the availability of general practice services, putting even more strain on the industry. The potential conflict could lead to a higher payroll tax for medical studies, making it more difficult for general practitioners to provide bulk billing services or remain open at all. If patients were to be effected, it would likely mean charges up to fifteen dollars more each visit. AMA Queensland president Maria Boulton has voiced her disgust at the situation, labeling it both immoral and a ‘tax grab’ by the government.
Due to a clash with payroll taxes, Queensland medical organisations warn of rising expenses for doctor visits. The top medical organisations in Queensland are warning that costs for medical care may soar as general practise is put under more stress as a result of a conflict over tax law.
According to one medical accountant, an increase in the amount of payroll tax that medical practises may be required to pay might result in Queenslanders having to pay up to $15 more at the doctor. General practitioners are warning that if they don’t transfer some costs onto their patients and stop bulk billing, their clinics would have to close. It has been called “immoral” and a “tax grab” by the Queensland government, according to Maria Boulton, president of AMA Queensland.
