Hi folks, Olivia Willis here with your weekly dose of health news.
If you've been paying much attention to the federal election campaign trail, you'll have likely heard about the big spending pledges on bulk-billing and Medicare.
The centrepiece of Labor's healthcare re-election pitch is a pledge to make nine out of every 10 GP visits free for patients by the end of the decade — a commitment that has been matched by the Coalition.
But an ABC News survey of more than 800 GPs, combined with exclusive data from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), has cast doubt on whether this signature election policy can be fully delivered.
More than 90 per cent of doctors who contacted ABC News said they won't move to full bulk-billing under changes promised by both major parties.
The policy, according to many doctors, shows a lack of understanding of how general practice works and will incentivise shorter consultations.
The findings align with a similar survey by the RACGP, which found two-thirds of respondents don't intend to bulk-bill more patients, let alone all of them.
You can find the full story here, and read more about what GPs make of the proposal — including why they think it could compromise quality of care.
While we're on the election, it's not just general practice where funding promises are being made. From urgent care clinics to public hospital funding and cheaper medicines, the ABC has recapped both parties' key health commitments — and what they mean for you.
In non-election news, COVID-19 vaccination rates among aged care residents and older Australians are lagging, prompting concerns ahead of winter.
And finally, the Trump administration has relaunched COVID-19 health websites in the US, blaming the origins of the coronavirus on a lab leak in China and criticising former president Joe Biden.
I'll catch you next week.
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