Time to dump unfair co-payment proposals
AMA President, A/Prof Owler, has welcomed the admission this week from Health Minister, Peter Dutton, that the Government would not introduce its unfair co-payment proposals or its plan to cut $5 from the Medicare patient rebate by regulation, if it fails to get its legislation through the Parliament.
A/Prof Owler said that mounting Senate opposition to the co-payments provides the Government with the perfect opportunity to give the Australian people an early Christmas present by dumping the flawed policy altogether.
“The AMA urges the Government to recognise and acknowledge that the future of our health system depends on timely, affordable access to high quality primary care services.
“By engaging with the AMA and the profession, the Government could produce an alternative co-payment model that is sustainable and fair, and which is more acceptable to the Senate,” A/Prof Owler said.
