Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended the Government’s decision to cut the Medicare rebate for short consultations, amid concerns patients will end up paying more.
From Monday, the rebate for appointments lasting less than 10 minutes will be cut by around $20, from $37.05 to $16.95.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said in many cases doctors would have to pass the cost on to patients instead.
Mr Abbott told Fairfax radio these were difficult decisions but Medicare had to be sustainable.
He said the changes were designed to ensure doctors spent “reasonable” time with their patients.
“Just a few months ago the AMA was saying that they didn’t want to see six-minute medicine, they didn’t want to support bulk-billing clinics,” he said.
“They wanted to see doctors spending more time with their patients, and that’s exactly what these changes are designed to produce.”
Mr Abbott said it was up to doctors to decide how much patients were charged.
“This is a Government which is serious about economic reform, and price signals in our health system is an economic reform,” he said.
“We’re serious about budget responsibility. Is the Senate? Now that’s the question.”
The change to the rebate can be disallowed by the Senate when Parliament resumes next month.
The Greens support a disallowance motion, and other key crossbench senators are also worried about the impact of the rebate cut, but they will need Labor on side to succeed in blocking the change.
Labor has not confirmed its position, but earlier this week Opposition Leader Bill Shorten raised the issue while campaigning in Queensland.
“What the rebate reductions mean in plain English is fewer Queensland doctors will be bulk billing,” he said.
“More Queenslanders will have to wait when they are sick and will end up going into the medical system later when they are sicker.”
Mr Abbott said Medicare must be sustainable and he challenged the Opposition and the crossbench senators to put forward their own proposals.
“It seems that the Labor Party and the Senate are just not prepared to accept any tough decisions,” he said.
“That puts our nation in a very difficult position. That puts Medicare in a very difficult position.”