150609 Media Release o'Neill- Abbott’s Health Cuts to Force Out Doctors
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DEBORAH O’NEILL SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES CHAIR OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HEALTH 9 June, 2015 ABBOTT’S HEALTH CUTS TO FORCE OUT DOCTORS The Senate Select Committee on Health has heard disturbing evidence GPs will be forced to leave the profession, bulk billing will fall, and patients hit with ever-increasing out-of-pocket expenses as a result of the Abbott Government’s health cuts. The inquiry has also been told hospital performance will worsen under a deliberate policy to shift health funding costs on to the states and patients. The Vice President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Dr Morton Rawlin, told the committee the proposed four- year freeze on Medicare rebates for GPs “is simply unacceptable” and could force some practices to close. “I have no doubt the rate of bulk billing will reduce, no doubt at all,” Dr Rawlin told the inquiry. “It will seriously impact patients … costs will become even more of a barrier”. Dr Rawlin’s warning was backed up by AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis who said the four-year freeze “made no sense” as it would simply drive patients out of primary care, and into more expensive hospital treatment. “We believe bulk billing rates will diminish, we’ve called this a co-payment by stealth.” Dr Parnis also attacked the Abbott Government’s $57 billion cut to public hospital funding which he told the committee as was “not based on reduced needs for public hospitals, but under a desire to shift costs.” “I expect hospital performance will worsen from 2017,” Dr Parnis told the committee.
150609 Media Release o'Neill- Abbott’s Health Cuts to Force Out Doctors
DEBORAH ONEILLSenator for New South WalesChair of the Senate
Select Committee ON Health
9 June, 2015
ABBOTTS HEALTH CUTS TO FORCE OUT DOCTORSThe Senate Select
Committee on Health has heard disturbing evidence GPs will be
forced to leave the profession, bulk billing will fall, and
patients hit with ever-increasing out-of-pocket expenses as a
result of the Abbott Governments health cuts.The inquiry has also
been told hospital performance will worsen under a deliberate
policy to shift health funding costs on to the states and
patients.The Vice President of the Royal Australian College of
General Practitioners, Dr Morton Rawlin, told the committee the
proposed four-year freeze on Medicare rebates for GPs is simply
unacceptable and could force some practices to close.I have no
doubt the rate of bulk billing will reduce, no doubt at all, Dr
Rawlin told the inquiry. It will seriously impact patients costs
will become even more of a barrier.Dr Rawlins warning was backed up
by AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis who said the four-year
freeze made no sense as it would simply drive patients out of
primary care, and into more expensive hospital treatment. We
believe bulk billing rates will diminish, weve called this a
co-payment by stealth.Dr Parnis also attacked the Abbott
Governments $57 billion cut to public hospital funding which he
told the committee as was not based on reduced needs for public
hospitals, but under a desire to shift costs. I expect hospital
performance will worsen from 2017, Dr Parnis told the committee.The
committee also heard about the damage being done to vital health
support groups by the cuts and delays to the health flexible
funds.Hepatitis Australia, which receives just $880,000 a year from
the funds warns these delays and cuts have severely impacted the
work the government is asking it to do to tackle hepatitis.The
organisation estimates it is now spending 30 per cent of its time
on funding applications after successive six and 12 month funding
extensions, ahead of looming new Budget cuts of around $700 million
to the vital health and community groups.END
Contact:Anne Charlton: 0400 433 743
Senate Select Committee on Health First Interim Report is
available at
http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/Committees/Senate/committee/health_ctte/first_interim_report/report.pdf
