Treasurer Joe Hockey and Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s GP co-payment plan will not get through the Senate in its present form. Source: News Corp Australia
THE federal Health Minister will consider a plan to soften the controversial $7 co-payment that could see the fee applied to a family rather than each individual.
Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler will meet Health Minister Peter Dutton in Brisbane today to offer him an alternative plan to Government reforms he says will cost patients $8 billion over four years.
As it stands, the Government’s co-payment will not get through the Senate, with the ALP, the Greens and key crossbenchers, including Clive Palmer’s senators, saying they will not vote for the measure.
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Pressure is also mounting within Conservative ranks to make some concessions on the co-payment, with some MPs privately arguing it will hurt pensioners, families and those in the bush. It is understood Mr Dutton still wants a price signal factored into doctors’ visits.
Asked about its willingness to look at changes to its health reforms, a spokesman for Mr Dutton said: “We welcome the AMA’s in-principle support for co-payments and discussions are ongoing on that basis.”
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- news.com.au
- 19 May 2014
- News
The AMA would not comment on the comprehensive plan to be delivered to Mr Dutton today.
But it is understood the plan includes changing co-payments so that they apply to a family unit rather than an individual; that nursing home patients are exempted and people with chronic disease also escape the levy.
However, it is understood more than one meeting will take place and any potential changes will have to be ticked off by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey. Mr Abbott yesterday urged Mr Palmer to respect his Government’s mandate and dismissed his call for a double dissolution or mini budget.
“We need the crossbenchers in the Senate to respect the Government’s mandate and we did get a clear mandate to get the Budget back under control, we got a clear mandate to repeal the mining tax and the spending associated with this tax that’s raising little money but causing a lot of disruption to investment and to employment,’’ Mr Abbott told 3AW yesterday.
Later, Mr Abbott said Australia did not need another election and urged senators to back the reforms.