AAPi's concerns about a recent Medicare change forcing patients to see a GP face to face to access treatment via telehealth featured in an ABC article this week.
Medicare now requires patients to see a GP in person at least once in the previous 12 months in order to access telehealth mental health care.
Victorian member Olivia Clayton said the rule disproportionately affected rural patients, who often faced six-to-eight-week waits, travel long distances, and had privacy concerns in small towns.
AAPi Executive Director Tegan Carrison said she was "deeply concerned" about what the rule change meant for regional communities.
"Access to things like telehealth for referrals from GPs is absolutely an essential part of meeting community health needs," she said.
Read the full article here.
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