The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly that the ACT Government proposes to implement an additional payroll tax on general practices. With the viability of general practice in Canberra continuing to come under pressure, GP clinics will have little choice but to pass the tax on to patients.
A survey undertaken by the AMA ACT highlighted that 80% of practices were likely to increase their private billing fees if they did not receive an exemption from the new patient tax.
It's clear that the ACT Government fails to appreciate the essential role that GPs and general practices have in our society. General practice is in a precarious state in Canberra with the lowest number of GPs per patient, where GP training positions remain vacant each year, and community practices are left with no choice but to close their doors.
Not only will the ACT Government's new patient tax make it more difficult for Canberrans to access affordable primary care, but it will likely increase the burden on our Emergency Departments from patients who would normally be seen in a general practice setting.
At a time when our ACT health system is under extreme pressure and Canberrans are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, the patient tax will make accessing essential health care even more difficult and expensive.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the ACT Government to:
Exempt general medical practices from the additional payroll tax as it applies to contractor/tenant GPs.