Surgery expenses to soar

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Patients face gap fess for surgery as a result of government Medicare cuts. Picture: News

Patients face gap fess for surgery as a result of government Medicare cuts. Picture: News Corp. Source: News Limited

THE government’s Medicare cuts will not only affect GP visits but drive up costs for private health fund members who face new $1,000 out-of-pocket fees for surgery, the AMA has warned.

The government’s four year freeze on Medicare rebates for specialists would undermine health fund no-gap schemes and force patients out of health insurance, AMA president Professor Brian Owler warned.

One example, he told a Senate committee in Canberra, was that patients who now paid no gap fee for brain surgery would face an out-of-pocket charge of $1,114.

“If the schedule for specialists continues to be frozen it will mean less people will participate in no-gap schemes, that means the out-of-pocket expenses for patients will skyrocket,” he said.

“We’re going to see people dropping out of their health insurance because they are unhappy about out-of-pocket expenses and that will put more strain on public hospitals,” he said.

Associate Professor Brian Owler, President of the Australian Medical Association, says go

Associate Professor Brian Owler, President of the Australian Medical Association, says government Medicare cuts will drive up costs surgery for health fund members. Picture: Kym Smith, News Corp. Source: News Corp Australia

BULK BILLING TO END

MEDIBANK FREEZES REBATES

Private Healthcare Australia chief Dr Michael Armitage, who represents health funds, told News Corp the government’s Medicare rebate freeze was a “concern”.

“Any increase in health care costs encourages people to reconsider their health care expenditure,” he said.

“Everyone who drops their private health cover has to rely on the public hospital system and that increases pressure on the public system and leads to higher private health insurance premiums.” he said.

Prof Owler also slammed the government’s controversial $5 cut to the Medicare rebate for general patients because it was not based on evidence, but “anecdote, personal assertion and ideology”.

There was no need for the fee because federal spending on health was not out of control and had plunged from 18 per cent of the budget to just 15.9 per cent, he told a Senate hearing in Canberra.

If it went ahead general practices in low income areas may become unviable, he said.

Government spending on health has been falling says AMA. Picture: Supplied.

Government spending on health has been falling says AMA. Picture: Supplied. Source: ThinkStock

Rural GP Dr Ian Kammerman told the inquiry his practice would lose $100,000 a year as a result of the government Medicare cuts, and that he would have to increase patient charges from $35 to $65.

“It’s certainly much more than what is talked about as the cost of a latte,” he said.

Other GPs told the inquiry even though the GP cuts had yet to take effect, publicity about them had driven patients away from doctors, with waiting times for doctor’s appointments dropping from one to two weeks to just three to four days.

The Royal Australian College General Practice said if patients received good care from their GPs hospitals admissions were reduced fourfold and emergency department presentations were halved.

The Medicare cuts have emerged as a central gripe of rebel MPs who are calling for a ballot on Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s leadership next week.

Not unconditional ... Senator Arthur Sinodinos arrives at Parliament House in Canberra th

Senator Arthur Sinodinos warns the government may have to dump the unpopular GP fee. Picture: Ray Strange News Corp. Source: News Corp Australia

Respected Liberal MP Arthur Sinodinos, a former adviser to Prime Minister John Howard, told Sky news this week “the GP co-payment should have been settled last year”.

“We either design one that is appropriate and equitable, or we drop the concept and look for other ways to restrain health spending,” he said.

Queensland MP Mal Brough told doctors in his electorate this week “I am suggesting to the Government that we should be taking the co-payment off the table full stop”.

“I don’t think it makes economic sense and I don’t think it makes health sense,” he said.

Liberal MP and eye doctor Andrew Lammin told Brisbane radio I want to work out whether we really need a Medicare co-payment at all. I’m yet to be convinced”

New Health Minister Sussan Ley is consulting with doctors and other health groups over the changes.

“I am currently travelling the country listening carefully to GPs and patients and taking the opportunity to have frank and discussions about constructive ways to protect Medicare for the long term,” Ms Ley said.

“We have clear guiding principles for these consultations around the need to maintain high-quality care and treatment, ensuring bulk billing remains for vulnerable and concessional patients and ensuring that those who have the means to do so make a modest contribution towards the cost of their care,” she said.

Originally published as Surgery expenses to soar