The deteriorating condition of the Australian health system.

GeraldtheGnome: In Queensland there are, like there are certain problems with the health system on a state level, things such as what they refer to as ramping and of course the list goes on. However, unlike those matters I really think that as far back as when John Howard was in and that of every past Prime Minister after him including Prime Minister Albanese the federal government under each government of each side that has been in power so far and that of the current government have mucked up the medicare system so badly that bulk billing with doctors has become rarer. That is wrong.

In Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, it is now the place with less bulk billing doctors than in any other Australian capital. So where I lived and in the areas surrounding Brisbane it is really difficult to get a bulk billing doctor now. I have heard that the increased rarity of bulk billing doctors has been brought about due to some unfair tax on general practice doctors that was introduced by the present Australian Federal Government. This by the way also effects the decreasing bulk billing skin clinics and possibly other places where bulk billing once was available.

WeHere: It's not just Australia. I'm in USA and pay about 25% of my income to have excellent medical insurance. I've been waiting 4 weeks now for oxygen and a walker prescribed by my doctor. Why? Because the doctors office and medical supply place can't seem to get all the info together that insurance needs for approval. A year ago, I fell and snapped off a bone in my shoulder. It took 4 months to get an X-ray. I spent the first 2 months laying on ice packs. I never did get any medical care. Before that, I got butchered during a cancer surgery and my kidneys, ureter, and digestive systems were severely damaged. I went through 18 surgeries in 4 different hospitals during a 27 month period trying to repair the damage done during the first botched surgery while fighting cancer. During those surgeries I received 3 additional long term medical injuries. Eventually I started taking fenbendazole which killed the cancer and I haven't been back to the oncologist. In USA the third leading causing of death is accidents relating to trying to get medical care. Our hospitals are deadly. We have a better chance of surviving if we avoid them completely.
I think we have to keep medical supplies at home that enable us to treat most conditions because medical care is inaccessible, and if you do get access, it can prove deadly.

GeraldtheGnome: Maybe the situation will now improve here, the last federal budget brought about financial aid to doctors to increase the amount of bulk billing for more patients nationally. If they just got rid of the tax on doctors then it will change things for the better.

GeraldtheGnome: All that I had was true at the time that I was on two months ago, things were eased up since then because things got so bad nonetheless there still should be more bulk billing. The way it once was should be what it should be like now, instead billions of dollars are wasted on too many useless/unnecessary things in this country now and many doctors have exploited it and do exploit it. In other words most people rightfully don't like a 'doctor's discretion' as you put it.

Here's an example where they can trap you and why I made this forum in the first place. It was a while, July last year to be exact, when I went to a bulk billing doctor. Just after that things were changed there and I was never warned about it until after I went there just a bit before four months ago. I never rang them up, they rang me up, they wanted to do a routine check up. No one, not even when they rang me out of the blue, which was highly unusual as it is, told me that the place no longer bulk billed. I went in there where even on the outside it did not have that they no longer bulk billed there, instead it had an extremely deceptive bulk billing sign outside. Not even when I went to the appointment and saw the receptionist did anyone tell me otherwise.

After the check up that they, not myself though, so eagerly wanted to do a follow up, for reasons to get more money out of me, but I got to the reception and found out by surprise that bulk billing no longer happened there. Due to the fact that I was not prepared for the nasty surprise I had no way right there and right then of paying the bill. I told them that no one told me that it was no longer a bulk billing place and that they would have to wait for a bit until I was able to pay the bill away from there. "Pay the bill !", is what she very rudely replied back to me after I spoke to her politely and explained everything. Anyway they wanted a right there and right then payment. Well they did not get that and it was quite fairly a bit of time before I was able to sort it out properly away from there, it didn't stop little miss pushy from ringing me up several times and harassing me for a little bit before that though. The next time I new I was going to be hit up for money at the place that still had the deceptive sign 'bulk billing' out of the front of it.

My situation afterwards, even though it wasn't great health wise, was and is still not that bad that there is a need to go and see any doctor at all. Since the either now true or claimed to be true situation of more doctors easing up and allowing bulk billing again I have not heard or seen anything from the at the time extremely eager people at the medical centre for yet another unexpected request by them for me to be checked up by them. That means that the last message that you casually came out with does not go over well with me and anything like that again by you will be deleted by me as soon as I see it if you so decide to come out with anything like that again. The next time I decide to see a doctor I will see one that does bulk bill me and if that is at another medical centre then I will rid myself of the one with the rude and pushy receptionist that is there. It felt like I had some heavies wanting to come around to pay me a visit over a debt. I'm not a fan of intimidation by anyone.