The independent Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has revealed the Abbott Government is ripping another $23.3 billion out of health over the next decade with its GP Tax, cuts to MBS rebates and hikes in medicine prices.
It also exposed as a complete lie the Government’s repeated claim that health costs are spiralling out of control.
In its report “Projections of Government spending over the medium term” the PBO forecast the GP Tax and end of bulk billing would take $18.6 billion off doctors and patients over the next decade.
The hike in the PBS price for medicines raises another $4.7 billion over the next decade.
This is on top of the more than $50 billion the Abbott Government has already ripped out of public hospitals, taking its total health cuts over the next decade to around $75 billion.
“Tony Abbott promised voters no cuts to health and no cuts to hospitals, and has now been exposed as a $75 billion liar,” Shadow Health Minister Catherine King said today.
“He’s already slashed more than $50 billion from public hospitals, and now wants another $23.3 billion from doctors and patients by ending bulk billing, hitting them with a $7GP Tax, and hiking the price of their essential medicines.
“These figures confirm the GP Tax is unfair, regressive and bad health policy. Taxing sick Australians will only prevent them seeing a doctor, leading to more serious and expensive health problems.
“That is why Labor will not stand by and allow this government to destroy Medicare. The GP Tax is a direct attack on the fundamental principle of Medicare that the best quality healthcare is available to every Australian.”