On Friday, September 18, Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled a $2 billion extension of the COVID-19 emergency response.
The funding will go towards telehealth services provided by GPs, nursing, midwifery, allied health and allied mental health professionals, home medicine delivery, free COVID-19 pathology tests and further protective equipment.
The National Rural Health Alliance welcomed the expansion of Medicare rebates for telehealth consultations until March 31, 2021.
The Medicare rebates, which were brought in to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, were due to expire on September 30.
“Telehealth has been an important lifeline for people in rural, regional and remote Australia during the pandemic,” National Rural Health Alliance chief executive officer Dr Gabrielle O’Kane said.
“It can be difficult enough to access health care in some areas at the best of times, but especially once you add in the difficulties caused by the pandemic, including border restrictions.
“Telehealth is vital to ensuring rural people can keep up their regular health checks during COVID-19 and ensure continuity of care.”
The alliance said the government should also be addressing some ongoing issues with telehealth if it was here to stay.
“Connectivity remains a big issue in rural Australia, and we need to be improving internet infrastructure in the bush, otherwise telehealth is difficult or impossible for patients and health practitioners to use,” Dr O’Kane said.
“We also need safeguards to ensure that telehealth is being delivered by local practitioners, and not online-only outfits based in the major cities who offer no face-to-face services.”
As well, there will be money for 148 GP-led respiratory clinics and an extension of hospital support, which also involves a private hospital agreement.
The home medicines service has already delivered more than one million medicines at no additional cost to eligible patients.
More than 10 million patients — the bulk of whom live in NSW, Victoria and Queensland — have benefited from telehealth services.
“We will continue to provide Australians with critical health care and support to protect both lives and livelihoods,” Mr Morrison said.
Since March, the government has stumped up $16.5 billion for the health response to coronavirus.