Saturday, 29 March 2003
Media Release
“The so called life support rescue package to address the problem of declining bulk billing rates is really about destroying bulk billing” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President of the Doctors Reform Society.
“But don’t be deceived by the claim that this will be cheaper and easier for patients”, said Dr Woodruff. “These changes will hit wage earners hard. As soon as doctors see that they can charge the co-payments directly, it will become a hefty payment. This is a license for doctors to print money. The hefty payment may start at $10 but it will go up and up and up.”
Pensioners and the poor may still get their bulk billing but they will become second class citizens and stigmatised as the `non paying patients'," said Dr Woodruff. "This is about so called `safety nets'. It is about welfare, not universal health care. It is about destroying bulk billing and Medicare."
Mr Howard has lied to the Australian community. Despite being elected on a core, unequivocal promise that "Medicare stays" Mr Howard is now diverting significant amount of taxpayers’ funds to the Private Health Insurance Industry and to pay for Australia's share of the War on Iraq. He is using the cover of the War on Iraq to dishonour his core promise that "Medicare stays".
"Nothing will stop rising health costs once bulk billing is lost. Mr Howard is ensuring that we will all pay more, more to see GPs and more for drugs – and then more people forced into private health insurance, where premiums will rise unchecked."
“This is about throwing pensioners and health care card holders into a saggy so called `safety net’, full of holes for needy patients to fall through, and telling all other Australians to cough up the money because Medicare is not for you,” said Dr Woodruff.
“This is not about saving Medicare, it is about killing it. Tear up your Medicare card, it will soon be worth no more than the plastic it is made from”
Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society
Dr Con Costa Dr Peter Davoren
Vice President Vice President
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