ACOSS clobbers Abbott's back door GP tax

Here we go. People on the front line who actually care about the sick are lining up to put the boot in to Abbott's back door barnacle; namely his new $5 GP tax. Not the least of which being the Australian Council of Social Services.

Perhaps the funniest line in all of the news release (I bolded it below) is where they wonder who the fuck gave the gov advice to do such a stupid thing to our beloved Australian health system. A not so subtle jab at Abbott's sneakiness and political strategies. 

They're right of course, this is about politics for Abbott, not about doing the best for the community. If the polls weren't disastrous he'd have never even contemplated ditching the $7 tax. 

Thing is though he just doesn't get that the populous has a brain and know when he's trying to pull a fast one. Lying is bad enough in itself, but to be sneaky and conniving on top of it. Wow, what a political fuckup. This whole $5 back door barnacle is going to back fire big time. People can see straight through it.     

While health care card holders are exempted, they do not cover the many people living with chronic health conditions, nor the growing number of working poor families and elderly people not covered by concessions, who are likely to be hit with a new $5 charge. 

"We know that people with chronic health conditions, in particular, need routine health care from GPs and they will be greatly affected by this measure. 

"We are also concerned about young people over 16 who are likely to be on low or no incomes and not necessarily on income support because of the tight conditions around independence. They too will be hit. 

"While we applaud any move to reduce ineffective and poorly targeted spending within the health Budget, this must be done in line with the equally important priority of improving population health. Unfortunately, this measure has the potential to reduce health and wellbeing, particularly when the evidence shows that such price signaling does not distinguish between genuine health needs. It is unclear who the government sought advice from or consulted with in formulating this new plan. 

"We are troubled that it will be patients who will bear the cost, as many doctors will have no option but to demand the $5 from them. It is effectively a co-payment by default," Dr Goldie said. more