Government healthcare spending figures may bolster case for a GP co-payment 

Date
    March 21, 2014


Health Minister Peter Dutton has suggested that wealthier Australians should be paying more for healthcare.         

Federal spending per person on primary healthcare services, including visits to GPs, grew by 50 per cent over the past decade, according to new figures that may bolster the case for new fees to visit the doctor.

The analysis from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to be released on Friday shows federal government spending per person on primary healthcare - a measure largely made up of visits to doctors - rose from $669 in 2001-02 to $1005 in 2011-12 after adjusting for inflation.

Federal spending per person on all health services - a measure that takes in spending in hospitals as well as visits to doctors - increased from $1892 to $2620.

As a proportion of tax revenue, federal health spending grew from 22.3 per cent to 26.2 per cent.


Health Minister Peter Dutton has forecast an overhaul of Medicare, and has warned that the present system is unsustainable. He has suggested well-off Australians should be paying more for their healthcare, and has not ruled out adopting a proposal to charge patients $6 each time they visit the doctor.      

In a submission to the Abbott government's Commission of Audit, Terry Barnes, a former adviser to Tony Abbott as health minister, said a $6 co-payment could save $750 million over four years.

A Fairfax-Nielsen poll taken last weekend found five out of 10 voters agree the government should take action to curb the cost of Medicare.

Forty-nine per cent back the idea of a co-payment for GP visits, while 52 per cent would support means testing to limit bulk billing to the poorest patients.

But the analysis shows spending per person on primary healthcare from non-government sources - primarily out-of-pocket costs for visits to GPs incurred by individuals - also rose, from $649 in 2001-02 to $929 in 2011-12, an increase of 43 per cent.

Spending per person from non-government sources, including private insurers, on all health services rose from $1361 to $1909.

Federal government spending on primary healthcare overtook spending on hospitals during the decade to 2011-12. At the start of this period, the government spent 97¢ on visits to doctors and other non-hospital health-care services for every dollar it spent on hospitals. By 2011-12, it was spending $1.16 on visits to doctors and other non-hospital healthcare services for every $1 spent on hospitals.

Public health advocates have attacked the proposal, predicting it would have the greatest impact on the poorest and sickest.      

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-healthcare-spending-figures-may-bolster-case-for-a-gp-copayment-20140320-355t3.html#ixzz2wX0a0XXy

If they raise the medicare levy to 2.5% wouldn't the wealthy pay more then.

Everyone with a taxable income would pay more even if they didn't go to the doctors

Using market principles , we need to encourage good health in the same way as we encourage good driving.
No claims bonuses .

If youre a fat , smoking, beer swilling, tim tam eating numptie, you should be hit with a medicare surcharge.

Put youi insurance onto it and start to get people to take responsibility for health.

Certainly the green army will promote physical health .
A medicare rebate for all people who participate.