8 July 2022
The RACP is urging the Government to reconsider winding back telehealth, following a new report today showing the community is relying on telehealth now, more than ever for their healthcare.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report shows last week’s cuts to phone telehealth services are going to impact people’s access to specialist healthcare.
From 1 July, people will have reduced access specialists by phone, and will only have the options of video or face to face for longer consultations.
RACP President Dr Jacqueline Small says in 2020–21, 32 per cent of people had at least one Medicare-subsidised referred medical specialist consultation in a non-hospital setting.
“The way Medicare services are delivered has radically changed over the course of the pandemic with the introduction of telephone and video telehealth services.
“There has also been a seven-fold increase in video services while phone services increased by 4.1 million.
“The recent decision to cut the types of specialist services that can be offered by telephone just does not make sense in this context.
“I have had a lot of feedback from our members - many of our rural/regional patients have found it technically very challenging with bandwidth issues.
"Many of our patients from lower socioeconomic groups do not have the data plans and/or devices to support video calls.
“We are also finding our elderly patients often having issues. I’m asking the Government to reconsider the decision so that we can provide more equitable access to telehealth, especially with the current situation with the omicron variant.
“We’re calling on the Government to reconsider their decision to wind back a range of longer and complex telephone consultations. It’s not too late to bring them back.
“Access to specialist services was also more than twice lower in remote areas than in inner metro areas.
“These figures indicate that there is unmet demand for specialist services in regional areas which telehealth can help to meet. Phone telehealth services were also more likely to be used by people over 65 years of age, and were more likely to be bulk billed.
“Given the surging COVID19 patient numbers nationally and the lack of video options for many patients we fear that the changes will force patients back into our waiting rooms and increase out of pocket expenses, or worse that vulnerable patients will receive no specialist care at all.
“In this context we urge the Government to reconsider the decision to end a significant number of phone telehealth service, so that Australians are able to access the specialist health services they need.”
Reference: AIHW 7 July 2022 “Referred specialist medical attendances” in report Australia’s Health 2022, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/medical-specialists/referred-medical-specialist-attendances
Detail of specialist services:
|
Item
|
No. (F2F)
|
No.
(Video)
|
No.
(Phone)
|
No.
(Phone)
|
|
CONT’D
|
CONT’D
|
CONT’D
|
DISCONTINUED from 30/6/22
|
|
Specialist: Subsequent attendance
|
105
|
91823
|
91833
|
|
|
Consultant physician: Minor attendance
|
119
|
91826
|
91836
|
|
|
Specialist initial attendance
|
104
|
91822
|
|
91832
|
|
Consultant physician: Initial attendance
|
110
|
91824
|
|
91834
|
|
Consultant physician: subsequent attendance
|
116
|
91825
|
|
91835
|
|
Consultant physician. Initial assessment, patient with at least 2 morbidities, prepare a treatment and management plan, at least 45 minutes
|
132
|
92422
|
|
92431
|
|
Consultant physician, Subsequent assessment, patient with at least 2 morbidities, review a treatment and management plan, at least 20 minutes
|
133
|
92423
|
|
92432
|
|
Specialist or consultant physician early intervention services for children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder, or disability
|
137
|
92141
|
|
92144
|
|
Geriatrician, prepare an assessment and management plan, patient at least 65 years, more than 60 minutes
|
141
|
92623
|
|
92628
|
|
Geriatrician, review a management plan, more than 30 minutes
|
143
|
92624
|
|
92629
|
|
Paediatrician early intervention services for children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder, or disability
|
135
|
92140
|
|
92143
|
|
Paediatrician, prepare an eating disorder treatment and management plan, more than 45 minutes
|
90261
|
92163
|
|
92167
|
|
Paediatrician, to review an eating disorder plan, more than 20 minutes
|
90267
|
92173
|
|
92179
|
|
Public health physician, level A attendance
|
410
|
92513
|
92521
|
|
|
Public health physician, level B attendance, less than 20 mins
|
411
|
92514
|
92522
|
|
|
Public health physician, level C attendance, at least 20 minutes
|
412
|
92515
|
|
92623
|
|
Public health physician, level D attendance, at least 40 minutes
|
413
|
92516
|
|
92524
|
Reference:http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/81F4D6E6C09A3762CA25887200043384/$File/Factsheet-specialist-telehealth-1July%202022%20.pdf