The Health Minister has hit back at the AMA President accusing him of being “determined to fight” the government on its Medicare reforms as he rebuffs calls for immediate funding increases.
The government unveiled its Strengthening Medicare report on Friday following a National Cabinet meeting where first ministers across the country committed to overhauling the Medicare system.
But the Health Minister hit out at the body’s president and said the system needed urgent reform before the government splashed cash. “I’ve said that changes to the rebate are not off the table, of course affordability was a major pressure that we discussed at the taskforce. Mr Butler conceded more money needed to be invested in primary care, but refused to budge before the system was overhauled.
The overhaul of Australia’s primary care system will heavily feature a shift away from the fee-for-service funding model as well as an increased reliance on other health professionals to assist GPs. The Strengthening Medicare report recommended allied health professionals and nurses be included into Medicare. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards
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