Wednesday 13th January, 2016
The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) starts 2016 with a renewed campaign to save Australia’s successful system of universal healthcare after the MYEFO showed the Turnbull Government will slash $650 million from bulk-billing incentives for diagnostic imaging and pathology services.
Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas, said the ANMF was extremely concerned about the impact of these Budget cuts, particularly for Australian women as they are forced to pay increased fees for critical preventative cancer checks, like PAP smears.
“It may be a new year, but the Government is up to its old tricks again,” Ms Thomas said today.
“After failing to impose a $7 GP tax for everyday health services, the Government continues to undermine Medicare by dramatically reducing the level of funding for bulk-billing incentives, this time for diagnostic and pathology services.
“Already, key health industry stakeholders like Pathology Australia have expressed concerns that bulk-billing rates will fall as patients are hit with upfront fees and higher out-of-pocket costs. The Minister herself all but confirmed this, after admitting in a recent media interview that ‘some may be worse off’.
“Most concerning is that these increased fees could result in patients deferring or declining essential, and in some cases such as PAP smears, life-saving tests.
“The ANMF is now calling on Health Minister Sussan Ley to come clean on exactly what these cuts will mean for women requiring their vital PAP smear screenings.
“As we know, Australians suffer some of the highest out of pocket medical expenses in the world and that’s why the Government can’t now slug us even more for these crucial, preventative, bulk-billed health checks.
“We welcome recent comments by the Opposition and Senators Lambie and Lazarus, who are committed to fighting the Government’s changes to bulk-billing incentives, through the Senate, to ensure that healthcare is affordable to all Australians, not only those who can pay for it.
“The Government is on notice: in 2016 the ANMF will campaign hard to protect Medicare as we know it.”
The ANMF, with close to 250,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing in Australia.
ANMF media inquiries: 0411 254 390
Sign the petition to save Medicare and save lives: Keep vital testing free
The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) starts 2016 with a renewed campaign to save Australia’s successful system of universal healthcare after the MYEFO showed the Turnbull Government will slash $650 million from bulk-billing incentives for diagnostic imaging and pathology services.
Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas, said the ANMF was extremely concerned about the impact of these Budget cuts, particularly for Australian women as they are forced to pay increased fees for critical preventative cancer checks, like PAP smears.
“It may be a new year, but the Government is up to its old tricks again,” Ms Thomas said today.
“After failing to impose a $7 GP tax for everyday health services, the Government continues to undermine Medicare by dramatically reducing the level of funding for bulk-billing incentives, this time for diagnostic and pathology services.
“Already, key health industry stakeholders like Pathology Australia have expressed concerns that bulk-billing rates will fall as patients are hit with upfront fees and higher out-of-pocket costs. The Minister herself all but confirmed this, after admitting in a recent media interview that ‘some may be worse off’.
“Most concerning is that these increased fees could result in patients deferring or declining essential, and in some cases such as PAP smears, life-saving tests.
“The ANMF is now calling on Health Minister Sussan Ley to come clean on exactly what these cuts will mean for women requiring their vital PAP smear screenings.
“As we know, Australians suffer some of the highest out of pocket medical expenses in the world and that’s why the Government can’t now slug us even more for these crucial, preventative, bulk-billed health checks.
“We welcome recent comments by the Opposition and Senators Lambie and Lazarus, who are committed to fighting the Government’s changes to bulk-billing incentives, through the Senate, to ensure that healthcare is affordable to all Australians, not only those who can pay for it.
“The Government is on notice: in 2016 the ANMF will campaign hard to protect Medicare as we know it.”
The ANMF, with close to 250,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing in Australia.
ANMF media inquiries: 0411 254 390
Sign the petition to save Medicare and save lives: Keep vital testing free
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