The Australian Medical Association says planned changes to Medicare should be scrapped. Source: AAP
GPS are angry their concerns over planned changes to the Medicare rebate have been ignored.
WHOEVER is prime minister after Monday should dump planned changes to Medicare and talk to angry frontline GPs, the Australian Medical Association says.
Hundreds of GPs met in forums in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane to express anger about being left out of proposed changes to the Medicare rebate. “Doctors are extremely angry, frustrated and concerned at the raft of changes the government continually tries to enforce upon healthcare and medical practice in Australia,” Dr Tony Bartone, AMA Victoria president, told reporters on Sunday. Dr Bartone said the plan to freeze rebates for four years would make it increasingly difficult for doctors to run a viable practice. “There’s concerns that the costs may continue to blow out because of these changes, and it may cost as much as $100 for a child to be seen with an ear infection,” he said. With the Liberal leadership spill set for Monday, Dr Bartone said whoever is prime minister needed to stop playing around with Medicare. “We want the government to take these changes off the table and come and consult with us before implementing any further changes,” he said. Dr Bartone said some GPs had spoken about retiring early or moving to another area of medicine, while others would have to end bulk billing if the changes were approved. He said increasing costs for patients would also drive them to hospital emergency wards. Dr Bartone said Australian health care costs were roughly around the middle band of OECD countries. The government initially wanted to impose a $7 co-payment on Medicare rebates, which it reduced to $5 late last year in the face of widespread opposition.