|
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 11:59 PM
Subject: Democrats Medicare Forum- Have your say on Howard's
Medicare'Reforms' Medicare Forum: Wed. 15 July 6.30pm
Jubilee Room NSW Parliament
House. We are seeking public input as to a response from Democrat
members and like-minded people to John Howard's Medicare reforms. We do
not believe that these are in the public interest and do not believe they should
be supported, but we would like input from the public as to a good response to
what is a complex issue. If you think you can help, please
come to:
Programme:
Welcome by Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans
MLC
Brief description of proposals- Senator Lyn
Allison
Forum for your input chaired by Lyn
Allison
We need to concentrate on the Medicare proposals as they are,
and do not hope to cover the whole gamut of the health system.
Lyn Allison has sent the following
message:
The Democrats are strongly committed to Medicare. It is
one of the best and most cost effective public primary health insurance schemes
in the world. We cannot support most of the Government's package of
changes because there is little doubt that they would force up the cost of GP
services and this cost will be shifted to individual patients many of whom will
be unable to afford health care.
However, there is a problem with a rapid decline in the availability of doctors who bulk bill all patients, co-payments are on the rise and there is a crisis in access to GP services in country and even many metropolitan areas. The Democrats believe this is an opportunity for us to look at the Government's package, explore ways to make our primary health care more responsive to patient needs by, for instance including allied health services such as physiotherapy and podiatry and to look at other models of funding that might make bulk billing and practice in areas of shortage attractive. We hope to inform you about some of the complexities of the package and for you to assist us with input on how we should approach the legislation when we deal with it in the Senate. I hope you can join us for this discussion. Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans MLC
NSW Parliamentary Leader Australian Democrats ph: 02 9230-2303 fax: 02 9230-2866 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.democrats.org.au |
