Sonic Healthcare reported a 12.3 per cent rise but didn’t wow investors. Company CEO says the medical co-payment could be a factor. Photo: Robert Pearce
The effect of the proposed $7 co-payment for medical care is already being felt with Sonic Healthcare chief executive Colin Goldschmidt linking weak growth in the company’s pathology division to patients putting off tests.
Dr Goldschmidt said he did not have hard evidence but said media coverage of the federal budget proposal was “possibly” discouraging completion of pathology referrals. He said doctor visits at Sonic’s bulk-billed clinics had also been weak.
“Many people think the co-payment went into effect on 1 July this year,” he said. “If the co-payment legislation goes through as proposed it will have far reaching effects for general practice, pathology and radiology.”
Dr Goldschmidt said patients’ health could be at risk. “My view is that if patients have a pathology referral it means they need to have the test done,” he said.