Pensioners should get a pay rise to compensate them for the proposed $7 Medicare fee to shepherd the controversial measure through a hostile Senate, according to the man who restarted the debate about free healthcare.
Terry Barnes, a policy consultant who worked for Tony Abbott when he was health minister, proposed a $6 fee to see the doctor in a submission to the Commission of Audit last year.
The Abbott government’s proposal to charge patients $7 for GP visits, pathology and diagnostic imaging was influenced by Mr Barnes’ proposal but differs in several respects.
Mr Barnes told Fairfax Media that just as previous governments had compensated vulnerable groups for tough changes such as the GST and the carbon tax, the government should boost the payments of carers and age and disability support pensioners to soften the impact of the Medicare fee.