Proposals by Health Minister Tony Abbott to make it easier for doctors to charge co-payments are designed to appease doctors, not to help patients or to save bulk-billing.

The short-term convenience to patients who can get their rebate paid into their bank account (if they have one) will turn to dismay in many cases when they see the size of the co-payment increase as doctors try to make up their income deliberately held down by this and previous governments for years.

The Government is struggling with the rejection of the unfair "a fairer Medicare package" as well as doctors organisations' anger at medical indemnity changes. The latest suggestion may help to win doctors. It deserves to lose voters.
 

Dr Tim Woodruff,

President,
Doctors Reform Society

Published in The Age

27 October 2003