The Abbott Government’s claim that its GP Tax is “dead, buried and cremated” has again been exposed as a lie with the CEO of Primary Health Care confirming the government’s four year freeze on doctor’s rebates will lead to a GP Tax by stealth.
This is a shared concern. Just last month, analysis in the Medical Journal of Australia showed that the freeze to indexation of Medicare benefits is likely to force many GPs who currently bulk-bill to resort to co-payments.
Whatever fancy name the Abbott Government comes up with – “co-payment”, “price signal”, “value signal” or “direct billing” – the end result is still the same: an attack on Medicare, an attack on patients and an attack on the health of all Australians.
Provider registration only half the job on NDIS reform
The passage of new NDIS laws must now be followed by an equally serious effort to build the skilled workforce Australians with disability rely on, the Health Services Union said today.
