New figures released this week show just how much pressure Malcolm Turnbulls Medicare freeze is putting on patients and GPs in the Illawarra.

In the first set of data to reflect what is happening after the July 2 election, the Governments own figures show that bulk billing is dropping in NSW and nationally.

In the period July to September bulk billing rates for non-referred GP attendances tumbled by 0.4 per cent in NSW and up to 2.4 per cent nationally.

Thats 45,277 GP visits in NSW that werent bulk billed last quarter that would have been bulk billed previously and over 167,000 GP visits nationally. And thats according to the Governments own cherry-picked statistics, which inflate the actual bulk billing rate as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and others have said previously.

Illawarra federal MPs Sharon Bird and Stephen Jones, said this is the evidence Malcolm Turnbull didnt want revealed bulk billing is dropping and he knows it.

People in the Illawarra are already seeing the impact of his six-year Medicare freeze every time they go to the doctor with more and more patients having to pay out of their own pocket, Ms Bird said.

In Wollongong people already delay or avoid seeing a GP because of cost and this will only get worse as Malcolms Medicare freeze forces bulk billing lower and out-of-pocket costs higher, Ms Bird said.

Sharon Bird and Stephen Jones are encouraging residents and GPs to let them know about examples where bulk-billing has ceased.

On the day before the election Malcolm Turnbull promised that no Australian would pay more to visit the doctor this was a complete and utter lie, Mr Jones said.

I encourage local residents and GPs to contact me if they have been affected by Malcolm Turnbulls extended Medicare Rebate freeze and any changes to bulk billing, Mr Jones said.

Its time for Malcolm Turnbull to pull his head out of the sand and admit that his Medicare freeze is hurting patients and GPs, Mr Jones concluded.

Source: Australian Social Health Atlas, 2016

FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2016