The National Rural Health Alliance says it would be disappointed if today’s federal budget includes a co-payment for visiting GPs.
It is believed the Federal Government is likely to charge patients a fee for visiting their doctor.
Alliance spokesman Gordon Gregory says people in regional areas already face challenges trying to access primary health care.
He says introducing a co-payment could make services inaccessible for some patients.
“If we put a $6 or $7 or $15 co-payment on access to a doctor, what it’s going to do, it’s going to put some of those who are currently able to see a doctor into the marginal group, the second one, and it’s going to push some of those in the marginal group, the second one, into the third group where they have no access to a doctor at all,” he said.
He says any measures which reduce access to medical services in country areas would be a concern.
“We spend much of our work here in the National Rural Health Alliance trying to get rural people better access to doctors because as you well know, it’s a problem, so erecting any further barriers to access a doctor would be a serious setback I’m sure,” he said.
The alliance says it will also be closely watching tonight’s budget for any changes to Labor’s Medicare Locals system.
The Federal Government yesterday released a review of the clinics, which found some of the centres were not functioning well.
The review recommended the Government instead consider a smaller number of high performing bodies.
Source: ABC