From November 1 you might see media stories about GP’s “returning to bulk billing”. We would like to be open and honest that this will not apply to “The Doctors at Lavington” just yet. Over the last 6 months we have been overwhelmed with restrictions after restrictions that would need to be put in place to fulfill the government’s rules and regulations to qualify for the financial incentive they pay to each practice for universal bulk billing. In theory this sounds easy, in practice it ends up with our clinic facing higher costs that will compromise how we work with you: • shorter appointments and more frequent appointments to cover costs we no longer can charge for (iron infusions, dressings for example) • less time to listen and explain • rushed care instead of comprehensive care We value our patients dearly and are committed to offering the best medical service we can while also understanding the financial restraints of everyday life. Hence, we will continue to bulk bill all pension/health care card holders as well as children under 16. It will be up to the discretion of each doctor whether previously privately billed patients from now on can receive mixed billing, i.e. pay full cost for the first visit but be bulk billed for follow-up or short appointments (referral/script). We are continuing to explore all our options to continue running our clinic safely and holistically as part of the universal bulk billing scheme. We will keep you updated. Please support us in the future by continuing to lobby for cheaper patient costs directly with your local members. The best way to do that would be to raise the Medicare rebate. Thank you very much for continuing your care with us and valuing the difference that time, care and experience can make.