Malcolm Turnbull’s latest attack on Medicare will see processing times blow out and people turned away from making Medicare claims at Centrelink offices.
As reported today, face-to-face Medicare claims processing will completely cease in Centrelink offices and Australians will be forced onto ballooning postal and online claim queues.
People struggling with medical costs and relying on rebates will be hit hard, with the time they have to wait for a refund set to blow out to up to two weeks.
Elderly Australians and people requiring additional assistance for claims processing will simply be left behind.
Malcolm Turnbull simply doesn’t get the financial pressure that everyday Australians are under. Delays in rebates for some families could be the differene between putting food on the table and paying a bill. Others will put off seeing a doctor altogether.
Malcolm Turnbull is already making health care even more unaffordable for those who need it most. His extension of the Medicare freeze and cuts to bulk billing for pathology and diagnostic imaging further will drive up out-of-pocket costs.
And now Malcolm Turnbull is making it harder to claim the Medicare rebate, and longer to receive it.
These are barriers our health system cannot afford– as a recent study showed, many people with chronic health conditions are already being forced to forgo treatment because of the costs of medications and appointments.
Malcolm Turnbull has learnt nothing from the election. As long as the Liberals are in Government, Medicare will never be safe.
SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2016