Broken promises - the MedicarePlus safety net

As bulk-billing becomes less available, fees become more common. The safety net is about giving low-income families facing real fees, real cash relief. (These families now face an extra $200 bill before being eligible for any relief.)

There is an obvious approach to this problem. The Government could increase the insurance it offers through Medicare by giving bulk-billing doctors an extra $5 across the board, whether a patient holds a concession card or not. A Senate Committee made this recommendation on the grounds that Medicare is about health care, not about welfare.

What we achieved in negotiating with the Government was a concrete benefit for the Australian people - a much more generous safety net - which, until the Government is willing to invest substantial funding in Medicare, seemed the only real guarantee that each of us wouldn’t be crippled by out-of-pocket medical costs.

Now, with control of both houses of Parliament from July, the Government has decided it can ride roughshod over Australian’s healthcare protection. And it looks like they will get away with it.