Patients will again come last as Tony Abbott puts his job before Australia’s healthcare needs in next Tuesday’s Budget.
The Abbott Government’s dishonesty, incompetence and dysfunction in health care is still hurting Australia.
The Budget will do nothing to reverse the more than $57 billion ripped out of public hospitals in Tony Abbott’s first Budget, but will continue to attack Medicare and load higher out of pocket expenses onto patients.
The Abbott Government continues to push a fourth reworking of its universally rejected GP Tax, this time through a backdoor freeze on Medicare rebates that will drive down bulk billing and create an $8 GP Tax.
The Budget will do nothing to reverse the hundreds of millions of dollars cut from public dental programs, gutting of preventive health programs, and complete abandonment of planning for the health workforce of Australia’s future.
The Abbott Government also remains committed to slugging patients with higher charges on medicines, with PBS co-payment increases still before the Senate.
Funding for range of services in drug and alcohol, mental health and rural health programs is still uncertain beyond 2016, with the Minister instead opting for a one year delay, continuing the chaos and confusion well into the next year.
Despite promising no Medicare Local would close the government has terminated the contracts of all 61 from June 30.
Prevention programs that improve health outcomes and reduce costs and strain on the health budget have been gutted, seeing the Commonwealth with no role whatsoever when it comes to preventive health.
Tony Abbott’s first Budget was a disaster for healthcare.
This Budget is all about saving Tony Abbott’s job – not about Australia’s future.