Abstract
[Extract] How do general practitioners view this possible change in financial arrangements?
There are reasons why it may be tempting to think that imposing a copayment for visiting a general practitioner is a good idea. It could instantly reduce the number of GP consultations, perhaps conserving funds for a possibly threatened Medicare. As GPs are “gatekeepers”, and therefore a bottleneck to accessing specialist services, fewer GP services might mean fewer downstream services. It might also be one of several means of reducing overdiagnosis. But is it really this straightforward?
There are reasons why it may be tempting to think that imposing a copayment for visiting a general practitioner is a good idea. It could instantly reduce the number of GP consultations, perhaps conserving funds for a possibly threatened Medicare. As GPs are “gatekeepers”, and therefore a bottleneck to accessing specialist services, fewer GP services might mean fewer downstream services. It might also be one of several means of reducing overdiagnosis. But is it really this straightforward?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 367 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Medical Journal of Australia |
| Volume | 200 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Apr 2014 |