Media Releases

“Medicare ‘safety net’ spending figures per electorate released yesterday by the Health Minister, Tony Abbott reveal a sorry tale suggestive of middle class welfare and pork barrelling,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“Most disturbing is the way the money is directed to those electorates which are the most socio-economically privileged,” said Dr Woodruff. “The top three electorates for safety net spending per voter are Wentworth, North Sydney, and Bradfield. They are also the top three electorates on the socio-economic rating scale. Thus in Sydney’s Bradfield at the top of the rating, the taxpayer pays $74 per voter but in nearby Fowler, the lowest ranking electorate, only $12 per voter is spent.

“Rural Australia is also the sad loser from the largesse of the ‘safety net’ as rural electorates constitute seven of the bottom ten electorates for ‘safety net’ spending,” said Dr Woodruff.

“Braddon, at the bottom of the pile, gets a miserly $1.41 per voter per year.”

“It is also of great concern that eight of the top ten electorates rated according to the amount spent per voter in the electorate are in Liberal held seats, such as Minister Abbott’s own seat of Warringah where $68 per voter finds its way from the taxpayer to help pay the medical bills of his voters.”

“This Government’s guiding spending principle in health seems to be that those with the least need get the most and those with the most need get the least. That’s the inverse care law” said Dr Woodruff. “Rather than calling on the Labor Party to endorse the ‘safety net’, the Government should be apologising to most Australians, particularly those in greatest need, for setting up such an inequitable scheme”.

Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Con Costa
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society

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“Another 4.5% rise in Private Health Insurance premiums announced by Health Mininster Abbott means another $110 million per year of taxes given to those who can afford PHI,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “This is on top of the $2.5 billion already given.”

“Now over $400 million in taxes per year is being spent on private dental care for those rich Australians who can afford PHI extras, whilst the Federal Government refuses to fund dental care for the majority of Australians, many of whom are waiting up to 6 years for public dental care, eating pureed food without teeth.

“Added to that is the complete failure of the PHI rebate to affect waiting times at public hospitals or to make PHI more affordable: it has become less affordable every year since the rebate was introduced,” said Dr Woodruff.

“What has happened to the Government which was going to govern for all Australians?,” asked Dr Woodruff.

Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society

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