This week, the federal health minister, Mark Butler, acknowledged that Australia’s primary healthcare system is “in its worst shape since Medicare began”, saying claims by the former government that 88% of patients were being bulk billed by their GP were “not honest”.
As Guardian Australia reported, a taskforce is preparing to examine why basic healthcare is becoming increasingly unaffordable and why more and more Australians are finding it impossible to access a GP who bulk bills. People on low incomes and those with chronic or complex conditions are particularly struggling with the rising cost of healthcare.
Now we want to hear from you.
Are you a patient at a clinic that has recently announced it will no longer bulk bill? Or are you a GP who has had to make the difficult decision to introduce a copayment? Do you have complex conditions, or physical or social barriers that make accessing effective, affordable primary care difficult? Do you belong to a culturally or linguistically diverse community who has faced difficulties accessing affordable primary care? Have you ever had to attend an emergency department because you could not get a GP appointment? Are you working in an area where there is an unmet need for bulk-billing GPs?
Share your experiences
If you have a story to tell, please fill out the secure form below. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of reporting. We will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy.
Your responses are secure, as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details.
If you’re having trouble using the form, click here.
