Catherine King

Catherine King

CATHERINE KING MP
Federal Member Ballarat
Shadow Minister Infrastructure, Transport & Regional Development

T (03) 5338 8123
Email: Catherine.King.MP@aph.gov.au

Catherine King MP
Electorate Office
5 Lydiard Street North
Ballarat, VIC 3350

Bacchus Marsh
(every Friday from 10am to 3pm)
Lerderderg Library
Geoffrey Hine Room
215 Main Street
Bacchus Marsh, VIC 3340

Open in Google Maps
  • ABOUT
  • BALLARAT
  • MEDIA
    • LOCAL MEDIA
    • NATIONAL MEDIA
  • POLICY
  • CONTACT US
Friday, 20 March 2015 / Published in MEDIA

ABBOTT GOVT MUST REJECT PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE MOVE INTO GENERAL PRACTICE

The Abbott Government must immediately rule out moves by health insurance companies to expand their reach into general practice.

The managing director of the newly privatised Medibank Private has told Fairfax newspapers he is “optimistic” the federal government will allow GP visits to be covered by insurers.

George Savvides said he is "sure" of getting a "positive reception around Private Health Insurance Act reform" from Health Minister Sussan Ley to lift the ban on insurers covering non-hospital based primary care.

Labor has long warned that the Abbott Government’s intention is to dismantle Medicare and now that warning is being realised. 

Allowing private health insurers to enter general practice would create a two-tiered health system with health insurance members able to jump the queue.

It would also open the door to US-style managed care, with health insurers able to interfere in the relationship between doctors and patients.

It comes on the back of the government’s decision to abolish all 61 Medicare Locals that are run and operated by community not for profit boards, and allow health insurance companies to bid for control of the smaller number of Primary Health Networks due to replace them in July.

This is a deeply disturbing move, which sadly, confirms yet again, this government’s determination to destroy Medicare by any means.

After gutting $57 billion out of public hospitals in last year’s Budget, the government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a GP Tax to rip $1.3 billion out of doctors’ incomes, undermine bulk billing and place a barrier between GPs and their patients.

The Health Minister must immediately rebuff today’s move by the newly privatised Medibank Private, or it will confirm the Abbott Government is intent on privatising Medicare and ending universal healthcare in Australia.

Tagged under: 2015

What you can read next

EVEN BIG BUSINESS THINKS TONY ABBOTTS GP TAX IS UNFAIR
LATEST AVIATION ANNOUNCEMENT DOES LITTLE TO SAVE VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
NEW ENTRY, BETTER ACCESS AT BALLAN SENIOR CENTRE

FILTER BY TYPE:

  • MEDIA
    • LOCAL MEDIA
    • NATIONAL MEDIA

FILTER BY YEAR:

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

© Catherine King. Authorised by Catherine King, Australian Labor Party, Canberra

Noise Birds

TOP