DRS

DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY

Media Release

30 September 2005

PO Box 992

Gosford NSW 2250

Phone 02 4322 0559

Fax 02 4324 4999

drs@drs.org.au

MEANS TESTING DEATH KNELL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Any move by the Beattie Government to means test access to public hospitals will effectively destroy a decent universal public health system in Queensland believes the Doctors Reform Society.

The Federal Government has sytematically dismantling Medicare during its tenure and as a result we have seen dramatic increases in spending on health, increased use of private hospitals and longer queues for public hospitals and all the while out of pocket costs for health services are on the increase stated DRS President Dr Peter Davoren.

Public hospitals are not full because the idle rich are lounging around in public hospital beds that could be better occupied by the poor. The only test for access to a public hospital should be the state of one's health said Dr Davoren.

Means testing will just ensure the cost of health care rises further in the private system and more needy people miss out on proper health care. Universal access must be maintained.

Doctors Reform Society