The Australian Medical Association’s Western Australian branch wants MPs to support the Abbott Government’s new GP co-payment proposal, placing it at odds with its national office.
It specifically called on crossbench Senators and Labor MPs to back it.
National AMA president Brian Owler has said the association would not support the plan to reduce Medicare rebates paid to doctors for common GP consultations by $5 for non-concessional patients.
Associate professor Owler has also said the proposal, which would allow doctors to recoup the lost funds through an optional co-payment, would likely lead to a shift away from bulk billing to full up-front charges for patients.
Pensioners, Commonwealth concession card holders, children under the age of 16, veterans, aged care residents and pathology and diagnostic imaging services would be exempted from the co-payment.
AMA WA president Michael Gannon said it was not perfect policy but it was better than the now-abandoned original proposal where patients would have paid an extra $7 to visit a doctor.
Dr Gannon said it was hard to argue that patients should not contribute towards their own health care, but also thought it was “unfair” to target general practice for cuts when it was one of the most efficient parts of the health system.
He praised the protections for the most vulnerable and stated “there is enough merit in this that we should cooperate with Government”.
“This is a better proposal and, from what we’ve been told, we would encourage the cross bench to support it. In fact we’d ask the Labor Party to support it.
“We’ve got a significant deficit. Health is a major area of spending.
“This is one area where to protect universality we need to protect those who can’t help themselves by asking people who do have the means to make a greater contribution to health care.”
Official national position to be determined
The AMA is holding a meeting of its national council today to discuss the policy proposal and an official position.
Dr Gannon said he would encourage his colleagues to support the Government’s proposal “and that includes lobbying the cross bench to support it”.
Associate professor Owler indicated the national body was unlikely to adopt Dr Gannon’s position.
“We’re not going to support taking money out of the healthcare system, out of general practice, because that’s actually where we need to be investing for general practice in the future,” he said.
“So that aspect of the proposal is something the AMA can’t support.”
However, he said the AMA was pleased with other aspects of the plan, particularly the protection of vulnerable patients.
The Government’s decision to freeze Medicare fees for all services provided by GPs, medical specialists, allied health practitioners, optometrists and others at their current level until July 2018 can be passed by regulation.
The $5 cut to Medicare rebates would need Senate approval.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said the Government was introducing a GP tax “through the back door”.
The Greens have voiced their strong opposition to the plan.
The Palmer United Party has said it was “unlikely” to support the new measures.
Tasmanian independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has said it “smacks of policy on the run and smells of desperation after some bad election and poll results”.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has said he would consider the plan, Liberal Democratic Party Senator David Leyonhjelm said he would support it, while South Australian Independent Bob Day said it was a “step in the right direction”.