Thu 11th Feb 2016
Medicare sell off: where’s the care factor?
Published in Age on Thursday, February 11, 2016
Reports that the Medicare and related billing systems may be privatised should send a shudder through the hearts of all Australians who struggle daily with the changes due to the otherwise amazing technology (“PM rolls dice on Medicare”, 10/2). The billing system is notoriously slow in many ways due to inadequate investment by governments to improve the system. One option would be to invest appropriately while ensuring that the negative impacts of new technology are not felt by those many patients of mine who don’t walk around with a Smart Phone, have limited or no internet skills, or are too poor to afford them. Does anyone really think a private for-profit operator will cater for such people? Does this government care for such people? This move suggests the need to rebrand Medicare. Perhaps Mediprofit would be more appropriate.
Dr Tim Woodruff