The Health Department has this morning confirmed that the six year freeze on Medicare rebates was a decision taken by the Turnbull Government, contradicting the Prime Minister and his hapless Health Minister – who have repeatedly tried to blame their Medicare freeze on the former Labor Government.
In yet another embarrassing split, the Health Department told Senate Estimates that only the Coalition Government is to blame:
“SENATOR HELEN POLLEY: When were [GP rebates] last indexed? By which Government, what year?
HEALTH DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SECRETARY ANDREW STUART: Fees for GP attendances were last indexed on the 1st of July 2014. And so the first indexation date that was missed would have been the 1st of July 2015.”
GP rebates were last indexed in July 2014 – as the last Labor Government had budgeted. So the six year freeze on Medicare rebates is entirely of this Government’s making.
Even Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton increased Medicare fees – something this Prime Minister and this Health Minister may never do, given their plans to freeze Medicare beyond the next election.
WEDNESDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2016