FED: Medicare rots while sickest patients pay
Doctors say the federal government is letting Medicare rot while the sickest patientspay $1,900 or more a year extra for health services.
A federal Health Department report says one in 10 chronically-ill patients are payingmore than $1900 for health services on top of health insurance and the Medicare levy.
And bulk billing rates continue to decline with the latest figures showing only 73.9per cent of GP visits are fully covered by Medicare.
Doctors Reform Society president Dr TIM WOODRUFF says the government pretends to supportMedicare while restricting rebates, fumbling the medical indemnity crisis and increasingco-payments for drugs.
He says the government wants bulk billing and Medicare to fade away slowly so onlythe well-off can afford good health care.
Australian Medical Association president Dr KERRYN PHELPS also says the governmentis letting Medicare rot but it cannot expect GPs to continue to subsidise it.
AAP RTV gmw/ldj
KEYWORD: BULKBILL (SYDNEY)
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