DRS
DOCTORS REFORM
SOCIETY
tel: (02) 43220559
fax: 43244999
drs@nlc.net.au www.drs.org.au
Press
release
21 April 2003
HOWARD’S
MEDICARE DEMOLITION PACKAGE
“The Federal Government’s so-called
‘Medicare reform package’ is nothing but a demolition package. If introduced,
bulk-billing will not be universally available, doctors’ fees will soar and
Medicare, which provided all Australians universal non-discriminatory access to
health care, will be an empty shell of its previous self,” said Dr Tracy
Schrader, Secretary of the Doctors Reform Society (Qld).
“Contrary
to the original plan of Medicare, the Government’s proposed package discourages
doctors from bulk-billing anyone but pensioners and health care card holders
and will pay doctors to have free reign to charge higher fees. No new
legislation or technology is required for doctors to charge only a gap fee to
the patient. It just means they have to wait for the Medicare rebate cheque to
be sent to them. If the doctor wants immediate full payment they have to insist
on up-front full payment and get the patient to claim the rebate. This was
designed to make bulk-billing attractive so as to encourage doctors to
bulk-bill. The problem is that the rebate and policy haven’t kept up with costs
and changes in the delivery of primary health care. The government proposal to
allow doctors to directly charge Medicare plus charge an up front co-payment
simply makes it quicker and easier for doctors to charge what they like and
retain bulk-billing just for the ‘needy’. It is of no real benefit for everyone
else as what they will end up paying out of pocket will eventually go up and up
as the hefty co-payments become heftier and heftier,” said Dr Schrader. “This
is what the AMA has been pushing for, a machine for doctors to print money. The
government has colluded with the powerful elite medical lobby to achieve their
goal of demolishing Medicare.”
“Families,
average and low income earners will struggle to pay, queue in hospital
emergency departments or end up not seeing the doctor at all. Pensioners and
those deemed ‘genuinely disadvantaged’ will become stigmatised as second class,
non-paying patients,” said Dr Schrader. “Your Medicare Card won’t mean much. It
will be your Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, pleading of ‘genuine
need’ to the receptionist or credit card that will be the determining factor at
the doctor’s surgery.”
“With
this proposal Medicare will become ‘Minicare’ providing only minimum subsidies.
Bulk-billing will be reduced to a ‘safety net’ for the poor. There will be every
incentive for doctors to charge more and no incentive for the government to
increase rebates,” said Dr Schrader. “More of our health costs will come from
average household incomes instead of taxation. Doctors will get paid more and
more, the rich will get better access and pay less over all and the sick, young
families and those on average incomes will be the big losers.”
“The
wealthy with private health insurance are already getting tax breaks from the
Medicare levy that diverts money from the public system. These tax breaks more
than cover the cost of their private health insurance fees. If the government
allows ‘gap payments’ by private health insurance this will benefit the wealthy
even further and put the final nail in Medicare’s coffin,” said Dr Schrader.
“The $225 million annual cost of the government’s so-called ‘reform package’ is
paltry in comparison to the $2.3 billion plus squandered yearly on the private
health insurance subsidy that provides greatest benefit to the rich.”
“We can’t afford to destroy Medicare. The two-tiered
US-style system Howard and the AMA seek to inflict on us will end up costing
more, not less. What the government needs to do is adequately fund the
public health system and introduce policies to encourage bulk-billing across
the board not ghettoise it for ‘needy’ groups cementing in place a two-tiered
system. Giving a $5 rebate increase to bulk-billing doctors would be a more
efficient and equitable step to support bulk-billing, access and universality.
There is more than enough money from the private health insurance rebate to do
this,” said Dr Schrader.
“Howard’s
demolition package would be a disaster for Australians. We saw the end of Medibank under Fraser. If this plan goes ahead we’ll
see the end of Medicare under Howard. Is this what the Australian people want,
a return to the pre-Medibank/Medicare days and an expensive US-style system?” said
Dr Schrader. “Because that is what will well and
truly happen.”
Dr Tracy Schrader Dr Peter
Davoren
Dr Tracy Schrader will be speaking at the Australian Pensioners' and Superannuants' League Qld public forum/rally on Medicare at Brisbane City Hall (main auditorium) on Monday 28 April 2003 at 10am till 12 noon.
For further information please contact the Doctors Reform Society during business hours
Back to Media Releases
[ Doctors Reform Society of Australia home
page ]
[ About DRS ] [
Site Index ] [ Search ] [ What's New ]
[ Policies ] [ Media Releases [ Published Letters ]
[ Current Issues: online articles ]
[ New Doctor: Journal of the DRS
]
[ Discussion
Board ] [ Contacting DRS ] [
Joining DRS ] [Jobs] [ Links