DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY

DRS

Media Release

Saturday, 22 September 2007

LABOR’S SUPPORT FOR MEDICARE SAFETY NET: GROSSLY UNFAIR AND ECONOMICALLY INEFFICIENT AND IRRESPONSIBLE

 

 “The Federal Opposition’s decision not to axe the Medicare Safety Net sadly tells us that their interest in ‘a fair go’ for our most desperate patients and their interest in being economically responsible with our taxes is quite superficial,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “The Safety Net hardly touches the lives of patients in our poorest electorates.”

“Whilst Labor talks about the unfairness of our health system, with many patients not able to see a doctor because of waiting lists, costs, or simply because there is no doctor, they remain scared or reluctant to address the major structural issues of our health system which contribute to our patients’ struggles,” said Dr Woodruff. “Indeed to date the only policies to address these issues have been the Superclinics which will have difficulties getting staff because the Medicare rebate system is fatally flawed, as it discourages doctors from working in poorer areas.”

“In addition, Labor’s continued commitment to the Private Health Insurance Rebate also demonstrates their commitment to economically inefficient policies which encourage doctors to work in the much more expensive private hospital sector rather than in the understaffed public hospitals,” said Dr Woodruff. “This leaves our public patients suffering on waiting lists.”

“The only hope for our patients”, said Dr Woodruff, “would be that Labor’s proposed Health and Hospitals Reform Commission might recognise these grossly inequitable and inefficient policies for what they are and recommend they be scrapped.”