Tue 3rd Mar 2015
New copayment kick in guts for working australians
NEW COPAYMENT KICK IN GUTS FOR WORKING AUSTRALIANS
The announcement that the proposed $7 GP copayment will be replaced by a $5 rebate cut to GPs when they see non pensioners and concession card holders is a kick in the guts to working Australians, said Dr Tim Woodruff of the Doctors Reform Society.
This is clearly aimed at keeping patients away from the doctor, said Dr Woodruff. This is forcing working Australians to pay twice for health care (once through taxes and then through the copayment) or not see the doctor. We doctors do not want patients to avoid seeing us with what to them might appear to be minor complaints but are really signs of serious disease, said Dr Woodruff. But this appears to be what rich politicians from the Government want.
This puts the pressure on doctors to decide who are the ‘deserving poor’ and forces doctors to cross subsidise care if they do want to bulk bill a non pensioner.
The $5 copayment may not seem like much to a rich politician but multiple $5 do mean a lot to a low income worker. In addition, many doctors will move from bulk billing to charging more than $5 as they recoup the costs of charging copayments.
This decision will please doctors who want to charge copayments but will antagonise those who want to make sure any patient who thinks they should get their problems sorted should be very welcome. It is not a way to give a fair go to all Australians. It is a way to slowly destroy Medicare as we know it.
Dr Con Costa Dr Tim Woodruff
President Vice President
Doctors Reform Society Ph 0401042619
Ph 0418400309
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