Life support plan for Medicare
John Howard’s “life support plan for Medicare” (C-M, Mar 29) is the perfect plan to destroy bulk billing and Medicare.
Bulk billing was introduced as the hassle free way to get health care. It was made hassle free to encourage doctors to use it for everyone. Charging patients extra was made inconvenient and more expensive to discourage doctors from not bulk billing. Howard is turning it all around.
For most Australians it will now be easier for the doctor to charge whatever you can afford and more. Perhaps $10 to start with, then next year $20, $30 and on.
Then private health insurance will be asked to cover the gap and premiums will rise again.
This is a kick in the guts for working families, and an exposure of the John Howard deceit from the last election. `Medicare stays’ he said.
But this plan is welfare for the very needy and for everyone else it’s pay more. It is not Medicare.
Tim Woodruff
Published in The Courier-Mail 31 March 2003
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