GP warns low-income earners to suffer under co-payment proposal #medicare
A Broken Hill GP says a Medicare co-payment scheme will be a barrier to medical services.
The Federal Opposition says the Commission of Audit is considering introducing co-payments.
A report this week reveals co-payments to visit doctors will hurt low income earners and regional Australians.
Broken Hill doctor Ramu Nachiappan says the move would further restrict access to healthcare in the far-west.
Dr Nachiappan says the chronically ill will be amongst the affected.
“Access is certainly an issue,” he said.
“To say to people, look you’ve got to pay up front a certain component of the consultation, I think that actually puts pressure, particularly on the people who need the services the most.
“In my view the hardest hit are going to be the chronically ill and others who have frequent use of a general practice service.”
Dr Nachiappan says people who cannot afford a few to see a GP will turn to public hospitals.
He says the burden of general care at hospitals will fall to the state.
“Instead of attending their G-P, patients are going to be attending the casualty department of the local hospital,” he said.
“Certainly that’s not beneficial to the hospital or to the community, and how is the state going to provide services through the public hospital for general practice primary care-type issues?”