"News that the Government may be finally considering some options to stop the disastrous decline in bulk-billing is welcome indeed" said Dr Tim Woodruff, National President of the Doctors Reform Society today.

"Rewarding doctors who bulk-bill with extra support to enable them to bulk-bill is a first step towards better care for the thousands of pensioners and Ozzie battlers who are struggling to afford the ever increasing out-of-pocket payments demanded by this Government, as it continues to pretend to support Medicare" said Dr Woodruff.

"These patients are currently being denied access to care because of these payments and are heading to public hospital emergency departments where they contribute to the ever increasing pressure on services" said Dr Woodruff.

"The Howard Government delights in blaming the states for problems in public hospitals, but this issue lies fully in their court. They need to do something" he said.

"The Doctors Reform Society calls upon the Federal Government to openly recognise that this decline in bulk-billing rates is a problem. And secondly, to institute immediate action such as the foreshadowed linking bulk-billing to incentive payments.

19 November, 2002
CONTACT:
Dr Tim Woodruff
National President

Dr Con Costa
Vice President

Dr Peter Davoren
Vice President

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