ABCDiamond

Subject to the general Election.....

"A visit to the doctor will be cheaper for all Australians under a $1.8 billion Medicare initiative announced by Prime Minister John Howard today.

From January 1, the Medicare rebate will increase from 85 per cent to 100 per cent of the schedule fee for all GP visits.

For a standard consultation, this means the rebate will increase from $25.70 to $32.20.

If a doctor bulk bills, they will receive the higher rebate, but if a patient has to pay an out-of-pocket fee the patient will receive the extra money. "
The Age Newspaper report


Meanwhile Labour says:
"Visiting Wyong Hospital on the NSW central coast, Opposition Leader Mark Latham promised a Labor government would immediately lift the Medicare patient rebate for all bulk-billed GP consultations to 100 per cent of the scheduled fee."

The government plan applies to all doctors visits, while the increased Labor rebate kicks in only when a GP bulk bills.
The Parties are running almost even on this one

jad n rich

You have to laugh at them, Latham/Howard, its like the stakes get raised every day one makes a promise, the other clown makes a bigger one, I'm waiting for one to cap petrol prices then the other one will offer a free car per family.

With all the promises its like Christmas in wonderland I'm really starting to wonder how the taxpayers going to foot the bill come November :scared:

Trevglas

You can always tell if an australian politician lies to you: you can see their lips move.

Thats why John Howard has done so well over the years, he is so short, most people just see the top of his head

jayr

which also makes it difficult to tell if he is talking out of his mouth or his arse...

Wol

>>With all the promises its like Christmas in wonderland I'm really starting to wonder how the taxpayers going to foot the bill come November<<

Well, I'll be there by then just in time to help......

podgypossum

Please humour me...i'm tired and its been a long day, but i am now confused (again)

I have never had to pay anything for my GP visits anyway!!...i just hand over my medicare card and thats it. The only time i have to pay anything is when i see a specialist (and ive seen a few!!) i pay a certain amount then go to medicare and get some back. Does this mean Howard is going to let me off my specialists fees?

ABCDiamond

No PP, no chance of being let off the Specialists fees.

What it does mean is this:

Currently the scheduled fee for a Doctors appointment is $32.20. and the government agree to pay $25.70 of this figure, being 85% of it.

The doctors that bulk bill, which is currently 70.7% of all appointments, actually accept a payment of $25.70 per standard appointment. ie: The patient doesn't pay any extra, and the doctor gets less (nice Doctors )
Some doctors want the full $32.20, and so the patient currently pays the difference of $6.50
But some doctors charge even more, say $35.70, and in that case a patient will currently pay the $10 difference.

If this proposal goes ahead, the bulk billed patients will see no change, but teh doctors will get paid a bit more themselves, hopefully indusing them not to drop "Bulk Billing"
The patients of doctors who charge the full fee of $32.20 will no longer have to pay the difference, and will probably be bulk billed, instead of having to claim it back.
The patients of the $35.70 doctors will now pay only $3.50 instead of the $10.00

You should get a bit more back in these situations.

Hope that is understandable