Abbott willing to rethink $seven Medicare co-payment, says AMA president

The Abbott government is prepared to rethink the design of its proposed $ 7 GP co-payment, the Australian Health-related Association (AMA) has declared, after a meeting in Canberra on Wednesday.

In a possibly significant shift on a budget measure that was most likely to encounter Senate defeat, Tony Abbott and his overall health minister, Peter Dutton, are explained to have signalled their willingness to consider different designs at a meeting with the AMA leadership at Parliament Home.

The AMA president, Brian Owler, described the meeting as “constructive” and said the prime minister and the health minister had listened to the organisation’s worries about the influence of the proposed new charge on vulnerable patients.

“I feel the message that was clear today was a dedication on behalf of the prime minister and the minister to look at substitute designs, something that we have not heard prior to, or since the price range was announced, and I believe that’s a really optimistic move,” Owler explained at a press conference right after the meeting.

Asked to confirm the government had indicated it was prepared to modify the GP co-payment, Owler stated: “The prime minister and the minister produced it relatively clear in the meeting that they have been willing to appear at different models and contemplate those on their merits.

“Obviously if there is a model that is acceptable to the AMA that we’re capable to assistance I’m hoping the government will support that model, and so I believe for the 1st time [there"s] an indication at least that there’s a willingness to revisit the model that they’ve place forward in the budget.”

Guardian Australia is seeking comment from Abbott and Dutton’s offices about the government’s stance on likely adjustments.

The government’s proposed GP co-payment, due to commence in July next 12 months, was set to encounter Senate defeat given the opposition by Labor, the Greens and Palmer United. The government has repeatedly defended the measure, saying the money raised would go into a healthcare analysis future fund. But the co-payment has attracted widespread community concern and spurred reports that some individuals were already placing off visits to the GP fearing the fee had previously begun.

Owler explained the prime minister and the minister had shown a “willingness to work with the AMA to come up with a answer that protects vulnerable folks, that supports common practice and makes certain that we assistance issues like preventive well being care and persistent condition management”.

He mentioned the AMA agreed that there have been men and women in society who could contribute to their overall health care, noting that twenty% of GP providers already attracted a co-payment and it was often bigger than $ 7. But the AMA could not help a cut to the Medicare rebate and was worried about the effect of the fee on vulnerable groups.

Owler explained the AMA also did not support making it possible for state and territory governments to charge co-payments for emergency division visits. He said the concept was “impractical” and he did not want to force individuals to make a decision whether their chest pain may possibly be a heart attack or merely indigestion.

“What we want to do is operate with the government to come up with a model that not only promotes overall health care and promotes the health of our sufferers but protects those that are most vulnerable,” he explained.

“We have to make certain that we protect those most vulnerable in our society and we should make positive that funding is maintained for standard practice which is about maintaining people out of costly wellness care.”

Abbott willing to rethink $seven Medicare co-payment, says AMA president