Turnbull at war with medics - election 2013

Oh dear. This is another body blow to the gov's re-election chances.

The medical profession is at war with the Turnbull gov against proposed cuts to Medicare due to be implemented on July 1st. Cuts that could mean a pathology visit could attract a $20 co-payment.

As far as I'm concerned that would mean one thing, that I couldn't afford it and wouldn't get it done. Likely my doctor would bulk bill me at the centre involved if that was the case, but what about other people? It'd be the end of preventative medicine for many. 

There's other implications as well, like testing for HIV. Would a working person have to pay to get an HIV blood test? This is completely counter productive to all efforts to reduce HIV infections in the years ahead. It goes without saying that people are most infectious soon after getting the virus, and of course pass it on when not on meds over years if they haven't been tested for it.

MALCOLM Turnbull will go to the July election at war with the medical profession as pathologists, imaging clinics, dentists and doctors all campaign against his budget cuts. 

Pathology clinics have already become campaign headquarters against the government as the industry fights the end of a bulk billing incentive that could see a blood test cost $20 from July 1. 

Nearly 500,000 patients have so far signed a petition against the cuts and the industry today (Thurs) releases a report which shows how it saved the government $2.4 billion by providing free tests last year. 

The Ernst and Young report shows Australian pathology costs $381m less than the USA, and $45m less than Canada.

“Our campaign will not only go ahead, we will be doing everything we can to make the government see that this is the wrong approach, that will continue election or no election,” Pathology Australia president Dr Nick Musgrave said. 

“Should the minister not realise this is a mistake it will be a major issue during the election campaign,” he says. 

Pathologists see more than two million patients a month which means they will have the ear of two in every ten voters during the lengthy eight week election campaign. Daily Terrorgraph