DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY

Press Release

Monday, 28 April 2003

HOWARD ANNOUNCES PLAN TO KILL MEDICARE

“Another nail in the coffin of our fair, high quality health system was hammered into place today as the Howard Government announced its plans to make pensioners and health care card holders second class citizens, and arranged for everyone else to pay more out of pocket for their health care,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President of the Doctors Reform Society.

“As doctors we will now be asked by this Government to decide ourselves who is struggling enough for us to reduce our fees for them,” said Dr Woodruff. “Medical care based on charity. If we don’t know they are struggling, they will pay the hefty co-payment, with this Government’s blessing. But they might not return because the weekly budget simply can’t stretch that far. Or they may decide instead to go the overstretched public hospital emergency department. Or they may die because they know the cost of the visit and are unaware of the seriousness of their illness and plan to `tough it out’”.

“A $100 for a GP visit (as in the USA) is where we are headed, unless one is `fortunate’ enough to be very obviously needy”, said Dr Woodruff. “Working families with one income will be reduced to taking just one of the three sick kids to the doctor and then sharing the treatment in a desperate attempt to afford health care. Preventive care, what’s that? A pipe dream for many despite the hypocritical trumpeting of its benefits by this Government as it makes access to basic advice and treatment less affordable to many Australians.”

“The ‘care’ has been taken out of Medicare,” said Dr Woodruff. “We are being offered `mini-care’. John Howard, Peter Costello, and the Health Minister, Kay Patterson, are sending Australians a message: they don’t care.”

Dr Tim Woodruff Dr Con Costa Dr Peter Davoren

President Vice President Vice President

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