Australia’s Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon is reported to have announced that there will be incentives for patients in rural regional and outer metropolitan areas who use telehealth videoconferencing from the 1st of July.

This is said to be done in order to provide more ‘equitable access to health specialists’. The incentives involve “$620 million in Medicare rebates, a $6000 bonus payment for health practitioners when they use the new technology to provide a consultation for the first time, and $20 every time a telehealth service is bulk-billed in the first year”.

Also, the minister expressed that the rebates, which were generous, were needed to motivate professionals to use telehealth in their daily practice, as it was crucial in delivering quality healthcare to Australians.

He further said, “We recognize the time, complexity and administration involved in telehealth services so rebates will now also be available for the health professional located with the patient including GPs, nurse practitioners, midwives, practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers”.

Moreover, the government’s telehealth is said to be supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners, who are said to have being planning to get a new telehealth standards, which will be available in October this year.