Under the $24m health budget boost to be announced by federal Health Minister Greg Hunt today, additional money will also be allocated for extra PPE.The changes will reinstate temporary specialist inpatient telehealth involving video and phones, and complex specialist and GP telephone consultations will be extended until the end of June.For the first time these services will also be available across the whole country instead of Commonwealth-declared Covid hot spots.GPs who treat patients with a positive RAT result will now get an extra Medicare payment for treating them face-to-face.Mr Hunt said telehealth had been a vital support during the pandemic.“All these changes support GPs and specialist medical practitioners to manage the significant increase in Australians with mild to moderate symptoms of Covid,” he said.“They will ensure continuity of care for Australians, whether they have Covid or other conditions, relieve pressure on the hospital system … and help communities all over the country.”He said it would also help minimise risks for patients who were immunocompromised, had cancer or were pregnant.
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