Cancer Council Applauds Federal Boost for GP Access

Cancer Council welcomes the governments $7.9 billion expansion of the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP), which will reduce the financial burden of cancer and improve access to health services for all Australians. BBPIP is an additional 12.5% incentive payment to GPs every quarter for each patient they bulk bill in addition to existing Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) bulk billing incentives. The program, which was previously only available to children under 16, has been made available to all Australians. As a result of these changes, the proposal plans to provide nine out of 10 GP visits bulk billed by 2030, tripling the number of fully bulk billed practices.By 2025, it is estimated there will be around 170,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. General practice reduces the burden of cancer by playing a critical role in all aspects of cancer control, as a point of access to preventative health, a path to essential referrals to specialist care, early detection and screening, throughout treatment and to follow-up care. The financial burden of cancer can impact the quality-of-care people affected by cancer can access, with out-of-pocket costs potentially delaying them from presenting symptoms to their GP or completing a referral. Improving access to bulk billing services is likely to have a positive flow-on effect, increasing the early detection of cancer and access to critical cancer services. People living in disadvantaged areas or in rural or remote areas are disproportionally affected by the financial burden of health care, the expansion of BBPIP is a positive step toward improving in-community care and reduce the financial and social burden of travelling for healthcare. This is a significant step forward for cancer care in Australia, saving patients hundreds of dollars, and strengthening the integral involvement of general practice in cancer care support.