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Medicare Changes Must Go
25 June 2003
The Federal Government's proposed changes to Medicare must be scrapped, Health Services Union secretary Craig Thomson said today.
In its submission to the Senate Inquiry into Medicare, the HSU said that the changes proposed would effectively kill off Medicare as a universal health system.
''It is simply unacceptable to put forward a system where bulk billing will only be available for pensioners and other concession card holders,'' Mr Thomson said.
''For the rest of the population with doctors allowed to charge more and still collect the Medicare rebate it would be a case of fees going up and up.''
''Already what we have seen with the huge decline in the number of people that are getting bulk billed is a dramatic increase in the number of people showing up for treatment in public hospital emergency departments.
''That is only going to increase if the Federal Government's changes were approved in the Senate. The HSU wis calling for all Senators to reject the changes proposed in legislation which will allow doctors for the first time to charge patients and still collect the Medicare rebate and allow private health insurers to offer cover to patients visiting GPs.''
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