'Too little, too late': Are the new bulk billing changes enough?

The revised scheme, which began on November 1, had bulk billing incentives triple in a bid to improve access to primary health care for vulnerable demographics.

Doctors who bulk bill children, pensioners, and concession card holders will receive an additional "incentive" payment for a standard consultation up from $6.85 to $20.65. In very remote areas, it will increase from $13.15 to $39.65.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) Tasmania president Dr John Saul said while he was glad to see the changes come into effect, he is worried they are "too little, too late".

"In disadvantaged, remote areas, the changes will be very welcomed," Dr Saul said.

"But 15 million Australians will continue to get no benefit whatsoever.

"That's one of the tragedies that middle Australia will continue to suffer, so that's very disappointing."

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the changes were the largest investment in bulk billing in the 40-year history of Medicare.

"This will benefit over 281,000 people in Tasmania," Mr Butler said.

"In a regional centre like Launceston, a doctor will get 46 per cent more for a standard bulk billed consultation of under 20 minutes (a Level B consultation), taking the Medicare payment for eligible patients to $72.80."

Dr Saul said while the change marked a significant investment from the federal government, it isn't addressing the fundamental issues with bulk billing.

"Over the past 30 years, we've seen a constant erosion of the bulk billing payment to doctors if they choose to bulk bill their patients. And now it's just become totally unfeasible to bulk bill everyone, hence the move to private billing," he said.

"While these changes will be very welcome to those surgeries that are trying to continue bulk billing, I worry there won't be much change to those who have already moved to private billing for their health care card holders.

"We're not anticipating a lot of change in billing practices for those who have switched to private billing because increasing compensation for GPs doesn't really do anything to change the cost of operation."

Mr Butler disagreed, saying that doctors' groups have called this a "game-changer".

"GPs right around the country have said this will help them maintain and even shift back to bulk billing," Mr Butler said.

"Together, the indexation boosts in July and November and tripling of the bulk billing incentive provides a significant increase to the Medicare payments that GPs get to bulk bill eligible patients.

"General practice will make their own decisions about whether they take on this extra funding incentive now available to them."

Dr Saul said the "chronic underfunding of Medicare" has meant that the system has failed to keep up with the rising cost of health care and that Australian patients have ultimately suffered as a result.

"These measures are a step in the right direction, but it's a work in progress," he said.

"So it's not as if we're going to fix bulk billing just by doing this.

"There's a lot more that needs to be done to maintain a robust medical system."