Dr Nick Coatsworth points out three 'major flaws' with Labor's $8.5 billion Medicare investment

Sky News AU

2 days ago

Labor's $8.5 billion investment in Medicare has been crucified by a prominent doctor, who has pinpointed some of the major "flaws" with the bill.
The massive commitment to Medicare was announced prior to Labor's election victory, and pledged to deliver an additional 18 million bulk-billed GP visits each year.
"For the first time, Labor will expand bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient," a statement from Health Minister Mark Butler read earlier this year.
"This will mean 9 out of 10 GP visits will be bulk billed by 2030, boosting the number of fully bulk billed practices to around 4,800 nationally – triple the current number."
It was reported by The Australian that the Department of Health, Ageing and Disability told Mr Butler that about a quarter of GPs are not expected to take up the government's new incentive scheme designed to boost bulk-billing rates.
Former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth said this revelation was a "major concern" and indicated how the policy was "flawed".
"This was likely known by the Department of Health and Labor before the election. It raises a fundamental democratic question about whether the public servants involved disclosed what they knew about the program to the Coalition," he told SkyNews.com.au.
"Either the Department's modelling was flawed and they have since amended it, or they knew the policy was flawed and failed to disclose it. Either way, it's a major concern."
As he continued to come down on the policy, he told SkyNews.com.au there were "three major design flaws" with it.
"There are three major design flaws. Firstly, the remuneration is inadequate for GPs who are not bulk-billing to make the switch," he said.
"Secondly, it rewards shorter consultations which patients and doctors have been frustrated with for many years.
"Finally, and most importantly, the taxpayer must increase payments to doctors who are already bulk-billing, but with few doctors actually switching, it will be billions of wasted dollars."
After urging the Coalition to "fight" against Labor's "Mediscare campaigning" and describing the bulk-billing solution as "more theatre than reform" in Quadrant magazine, Dr Coatsworth launched another attack on Labor's election campaign and the direction they're taking Medicare.
"Nothing at all has progressed," he said.
"To win an election Albanese and Butler have cemented Medicare in the 1970s and failed to adapt to the new realities of ageing and chronic disease that require a different funding model."