The words “white coat lobby” can strike fear into the hearts of politicians of all stripes.
Whether you are a patient in need or a politician, you tend to follow what the doctor orders.
That is why the importance of the conciliatory tone of outgoing Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton on the most controversial healthcare reform in recent years, the $7 medical co-payment, should not be underestimated.
“We have no issue with the public having a responsibility to be part of that ‘we must spend wisely’ campaign and so should doctors, they’re happy to be stewards of the health dollar,” Hambleton told journalists at the AMA’s national conference on Friday. “Patients should be measuring what they spend so we get an efficient health system.”
It’s a stark difference from last year’s conference, when Hambleton declared the Labor government’s budgetary measures to “the four horsemen of the apocalypse”.
Revving up social media
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is taking a different tack on the government’s budget plans, revving up a social media campaign with the hashtag #copaynoway.
The RACGP will shortly be sending out posters for its members to put up in their waiting rooms, increasing the visibility of the campaign to patients.
“This particular system is really not a good idea they’ve got. That’s why this #copaynoway has been launched, and there’s this sort of awareness campaign,” RACGP vice-president Frank Jones said.
“It’s not a good system and we would feel this whole thing needs to be looked at again. . . it seems to be penalising the least-well off in our society.”
Health minister Peter Dutton has tried to mollify GPs in the wake of the budget by arguing they will be up to $400 million better off once co-payments are introduced. Privately the government is feeling confident it can win the argument on co-payments.
“It’s helpful to have key stakeholders on board, [but] I don’t think there’s any one group that can kibosh anything,” one government source said. “Medicare is about the public not providers.”
On Friday Mr Dutton indicated to the AMA’s conference he was willing to negotiate on parts of the co-payment plan. “I’m not sure anyone can successfully argue that the conversation has finished, this is just the start. But it is important ultimately that we have a sustainable system,” Mr Dutton said.
He said since legislation to introduce the co-payment had not yet been put to parliament, discussions with crossbenchers had not yet begun.
Opposition health spokesperson Catherine King said there were no circumstances under which Labor could support the co-payment proposal.
“The reason is because it actually attacks the fundamental architecture of Medicare. When we established it 30 years ago, it was an insurance scheme which covers everybody,” Ms King said.
Ms King said the co-payment brought in by Bob Hawke in 1991 “only existed for three months and it was got rid of pretty quickly”.
Source: Financial Review