So he's grandly announced today (again I think, not just a hint this time) that the $7 GP tax is finished. Not that he didn't want it. It was because the senate wouldn't pass it. Wonderful everyone thinks.....
Ah yes, but he gives with one hand and takes with the other. Instead of the $7 GP tax, it will be a $5 cut to the Medicare rebate, so doctors will have no choice but to bear the burden of the gov cutting money in the face of everyday inflation, or to make up the $5 cut by charging patients $5 more. Likely it will mean the end of bulk billing in many medical centres, who possibly will have to introduce a $5 co-payment.
Oh but this isn't a $5 GP tax, but a "discretionary fee". Oh FFS, he's at it again, linguistic gymnastics. Treating us like fools. The money saved is almost exactly the same.
Will be interesting to see what the senate thinks of all of this.....
The federal government has dumped its plan to charge patients a $7 fee to see a doctor, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced.
However, doctors will be invited to charge a $5 "discretionary" fee for consultations with non-concessional patients to recover income lost through a $5 cut to the Medicare rebate.
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Mr Abbott said the budget saving under the previous policy would have been $3.6 billion over four years, while the savings under this revised policy it will be $3.5 billion. more
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