Health Minister Sussan Ley has again exposed the Abbott Government’s lies on the GP Tax, confirming the coalition is committed to forcing down bulk billing by making more patients pay to see a doctor.
There are a lot of people who attend a doctor, who pay nothing who can afford to pay a bit more and that’s where we have to land in this discussion with the medical profession.
Sussan Ley, 3AW, 3 March 2015
This is no different from what the government has been seeking to achieve from day one with its GP Tax – a reduction in bulk billing, an end to universal health care and greater out of pocket costs for patients.
All that’s changed is the language. Before this week the Prime Minister repeatedly expressed his support for what he called a “modest co-payment”.
Today, in question time, the minister instead expressed her support for a “modest contribution”.
“Contribution”, “co-payment”, “price signal” or “value signal”, it doesn’t matter what the government calls it, the end result is still the same – it’s still a GP Tax, it’s still an attack on Medicare, and patients are still being hit for more.