West Australian Health Minister Kim Hames said he would be “extremely uncomfortable” demanding a co-payment from patients who turned up for treatment at state-run hospitals.
Tomorrow’s federal budget is likely to include a co-payment for patients visiting general practitioners.
There is mounting speculation that payment could be extended to patients who present at emergency departments, which are run by State Governments.
Dr Hames said while emergency departments were sometimes misused by patients seeking to avoid doctors’ fees, a co-payment might deter those who needed treatment from seeking it.
“I would be extremely uncomfortable doing that,” he said, referring to the introduction of a co-payment.
“We don’t want to try to force people away who urgently need emergency care.
“Have to say, though, we have a lot of patients who come to our emergency departments who use it as a GP clinic, and they shouldn’t be.”
Dr Hames questioned what would happen if patients were turned away from the hospital and advised to visit a GP instead.
“We tell them to go to the GP clinic because it’s a GP-type problem, and they say, ‘No, I’m not going’; what are our options then?” Dr Hames said.
“We still have to treat them so it’s very awkward and very difficult.”
Free hospital visits under threat: McGowan
Dr Hames said the State Government would wait to see what rules applied.
“We don’t want to be charging patients coming to our emergency departments, but by the same token, we can’t have everyone who would otherwise see their GP suddenly mass into our hospitals,” he said.
The Australia I know allows people to go to hospital when they are sick without having to pay.
Mark McGowan
State Opposition Leader Mark McGowan says Dr Hames needs to make sure the co-payment is not implemented in WA.
“I’m calling on the State Government to stand up to Canberra, not accept this new hospital tax, and stand up for families and individuals,” he said.
“This is not the Australia that I know. The Australia I know allows people to go to hospital when they are sick without having to pay, and that has been the case for many, many decades.”
Mr McGowan said any co-payment would be unfair to families.
“I’m sickened by the idea that the State Government is going to put a tax on people going to hospital, especially those with children,” he said.
WA doctors have urged the State Government not to introduce a new fee for emergency patients.
The Australian Medical Association’s Dave Mountain says the idea is not practical or feasible.
“We don’t think it will collect enough money to cover its costs,” he said.
“We think it would be the wrong thing to do for patients, and really we’re just covering for a federal government that’s got bad policy.”
Source: ABC