The Australian Government is restoring subsidies for mass-charged video telemedicine consultations through an A$47.7 million ($30 million) investment in the October budget.
Starting this November, rural and regional residents and other eligible patients will once again have access to free mental health video consultations.
This is happening because the latest funding will restore a 50% load on mental health services billed in bulk under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) delivered via video telehealth.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
Rural areas and regions of Australia report higher rates of mental health-related hospitalizations and suicides than urban areas. Many indigenous people living there also have higher rates of mental illness, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. And yet, these areas still lack medical services, especially mental care.
BIGGER BACKGROUND
To recall, the previous government ended support for some 128 MBS categories remotely, including video mental health counseling for rural communities.
These cuts have forced many patients to pay the premium or forgo treatment while some psychiatrists have stopped providing services in these areas.
Fiona Phillips, Member of Parliament for Gilmore, said: “These services should never have been phased out – it has had a detrimental impact on the mental health of many in the area, so I am very upset. happy to see the support provided again.”
Health Secretary Mark Butler added: “Our regional and rural communities have suffered from drought, wildfires, flooding and the impact of COVID-19 in recent years – a hurricane. includes factors that have a significant effect on people’s mental health”.
The restoration of this Medicare category is expected to support 410,000 consultations over four years or 543,000 consultations over five years, he said.
In other information, the Ministry of Health and Aged Care has confirmed domestic COVID-19 patients will continue to participate in MBS-subsidized teleconsultations with any GP until the end of this year, The Ministry of Health and Aged Care announced recently. The support is supposed to end at the end of October.
