A WELCOME correction in the system, or a change that leaves the structural challenges to providing healthcare in rural areas unchanged?
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Rural medical organisations' responses have been mixed to a proposed change in the system for defining geographic eligibility for certain Medicare benefits.
The Department of Health has said it will update its system for geographic eligibility for several items on the Medicare Benefits schedule to a new model. This change is due to take place on January 1, 2020.
Read more: Doctor fears end to bulk-billing in Bendigo
Chief executive of Murray Primary Health Network Matt Jones said the real structural challenges to providing healthcare to rural communities would remain, despite the change.
He said the new model was a "crude structure" that would restrict access to bulk-billing.
Mr Jones said the change could threaten the sustainability of general practice services in regional centres.
He said for health care to be accessible it needed to be both affordable and available.
Challenges such as income, after hours and on call work and isolation would continue to make it challenging to attract GPs to rural areas, Mr Jones said.
The change will not mean rural practices get higher incentives for bulk-billing. Rather practices in certain areas that were not classed as rural would become so, while some that were classified as rural would not be any longer.
The Department of Health has not confirmed what locations will be affected by the change.
Bendigo health professionals have raised concerns that the change could reduce incentives for bulk-billing in the city, making it unviable to bulk bill.
Mapping on the Department of Health website suggests that Bendigo will be classified at a less level of rural than previously.
It's not clear whether any additional areas in central Victoria will be classified as rural.
President of the Rural Doctors Association of Victoria Megan Belot said the organisation welcomed the change as a "correction in the system".
Dr Belot also practices in Echuca and Kerang.
She said the change would make smaller towns better off by providing clarity.
Clinics in regional centres such as Bendigo, and the outer suburbs of Melbourne, that are likely to be affected by the change don't face the same financial disadvantages as rural GPs, Dr Belot said.
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