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Hundreds rally against Medicare reforms and fees for GP visits Hundreds rally against Medicare reforms and fees for GP visits
(7 months later)
Hundreds of people gathered outside Sydney’s Town Hall Hundreds of people gathered outside Sydney’s Town Hall on Saturday to protest against any moves to water down Medicare and introduce patient payments to see a bulk-billing GP.
on Saturday to protest against any moves to water down Medicare and introduce Waving banners reading “Stop Abbott”, “Save Medicare” and “Free Universal Health Care”, the protesters called for the government to rule out any changes to Medicare.
patient payments to see a bulk-billing GP. Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek paid tribute to the introduction of the health system, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this month.
Waving banners reading “Stop Abbott”, “Save Medicare” “Before Medicare, millions of Australians used to be bankrupted,” she said.
and “Free Universal Health Care”, the protesters called for the government to “Medical bills were the highest cause of bankruptcy in Australia, as they still are today in the US.”
rule out any changes to Medicare. She called for the government to rule out any introduction of a GP co-payment, which would require patients to pay a suggested $6 fee for each consultation.
Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek paid tribute The rally took place just weeks after prime minister Tony Abbott dismissed as nothing more than a scare campaign claims the government was planning to introduce a fee.
to the introduction of the health system, which celebrated its 30th anniversary “Nothing is being considered, nothing has been proposed, nothing is planned,” Abbott said earlier this month.
this month. But Plibersek said on Saturday that on “the very same night on the 7.30 Report, (treasurer) Joe Hockey said nothing is off the table”.
“Before Medicare, millions of Australians used to be She said that, while the fee was small, if it was introduced it would be prohibitive for some and would ultimately cost the system more.
bankrupted,” she said. “What we know is that any illness treated early is much better for the patient and much better for the health system,” she said.
“Medical bills were the highest cause of bankruptcy in General secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Brett Holmes said he didn’t want a system where money was the first thing asked when a patient walked in the door.
Australia, as they still are today in the US.” “If that forces too many people into the hospitals, we will put a co-payment on emergency department services as well,” he said.
She called for the government to rule out any “This is an idea that will be expanded and expanded if it happens.”
introduction of a GP co-payment, which would require patients to pay a
suggested $6 fee for each consultation.
The rally took place just weeks after prime minister Tony
Abbott dismissed as nothing more than a scare campaign claims the government was planning to introduce a fee.
“Nothing is being considered, nothing has been
proposed, nothing is planned,” Abbott said earlier this month.
But Plibersek said on Saturday that on “the
very same night on the 7.30 Report, (treasurer) Joe Hockey said nothing is off
the table”.
She said that, while the fee was small, if it was
introduced it would be prohibitive for some and would ultimately cost the
system more.
“What we know is that any illness treated early
is much better for the patient and much better for the health system,” she
said.
General secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives
Association Brett Holmes said he didn’t want a system where money was the first
thing asked when a patient walked in the door.
“If that forces too many people into the
hospitals, we will put a co-payment on emergency department services as well,”
he said.
“This is an idea that will be expanded and
expanded if it happens.”