Both Parties Up The Medicare Bid

In recognition that health remains the biggest issue for voters in this election, both the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader Mark Latham yesterday put health first.

Yesterday labor announced a further $180 million to fast track its plan to increase bulk-billing rates to 80 per cent.

Mr Latham used a visit to Wyong Hospital on the NSW central coast to promise a Labor government would immediately lift the Medicare patient rebate for all bulk-billed GP consultations to 100 per cent of the scheduled fee - representing an average increase of $5 a consultation.

Mr Latham said under Labor's Medicare policy, doctors in metropolitan areas who bulk billed 80 per cent or more of their patients would receive an extra $7,500.

Doctors in outer metropolitan and major regional centres who bulk bill at least 75 per cent of their patients will get an extra $15,000 a year, while rural doctors will receive an extra $22,500 for bulk-billing 70 per cent or more of their patients.

"We will combine the increase in the patient rebate with powerful incentives for doctors to bulk bill, ensuring the bulk-billing doctors are available in communities around the country," Mr Latham said.

Labor's plan is a part of its $3.4 billion commitment to address falling bulk-billing rates around the country.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard announced a $1.8 billion measure to increase the Medicare rebate for all patients.

From January 1 next year, the Medicare rebate will go up from $25.70 to $30.20 for a standard consultation.

The government initiative means doctors who bulk bill will receive 100 per cent of the scheduled fee for their services and patients who pay an out-of-pocket fee will receive the extra money.

Mr Howard said the increased rebate was in addition to the payments to doctors who bulk billed children and concession card holders.

"It is unambiguously of benefit to everybody," he said.

Mr Howard said the government had made the decision before it went into caretaker mode because the budget outlook was better than it had predicted.

The HSU having analysed the two positions announced yesterday believes the following are the essential differences on bulk billing and health services between the parties at this stage of the election:

Labor

• Labor's increase in the rebate is only for doctors who bulk bill - not for those who charge more than the schedule fee. Labor says this will assist in lifting bulk billing rates as it provides an incentive to doctors to bulk bill;

Government

• The Government's promise applies to all doctors. The Prime Minister says this means that people who have a family doctor who doesn't bulk bill will be better off as they will receive the rebate;

HSU Comment

There is danger with the Government policy that doctors will put up there fees by the same amount as the increase in the Government fee schedule and that there will be no pressure on doctors to bulk bill.

There also is little in the Government package announced yesterday that builds on its 10 bulk billing clinics ($6.9 million) they have already announced. This compares unfavourably to Labor's already announced $128 million to be spent on:
1. Introduction of Medicare teams for health hotspots - areas where bulk billing is in free fall;

2. Medicare teams will be co-located in emergency departments to offer families access to bulk billing and ease pressures on local hospital emergency wards. Hotspots will have up to 4 Medicare teams which will consist of two doctors and a practice nurse - providing an estimated 56,000 consultations a year.

3. A single national telephone number linking callers to telephone triage and advice lines staffed by nurses, with a GP on hand for more difficult cases.

4. Accredited after-hours GP clinics

Finally it is also disappointing that the Government chose not to match Labor in terms of reforming the health system which Labor estimates will save $2 billion that will go back into financing the states to improve public hospitals.

Members are encouraged to send a email from this site to encourage all politicians to Put Health First.

printer-friendly version

© 2003 Health Services Union (HSU)
This page: http://www.hsua.org.au/campaigns/puthealthfirst/news/1094521631_21923.html
Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Nov-2005 17:19:25 EST