Doorstop - Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, Canberra - AMA's response to ALP Medicare package

PHELPS: This afternoon we've seen the Government's Medicare package trumped, but I don't think it's the solution for the long term. The increase in the patients' rebate of up to $4.45 in four years' time is certainly an improvement on the one dollar for urban doctors, but unfortunately the doctors need to bulk bill in order for the patient's rebate to be accessed.

Certainly what we would like to see is a universal approach to the Medicare rebate. What this package does not do is to stick by the universal principle under Medicare.

We would like to also point out that we do support the fact that practices don't have to opt in, they don't have to bulk bill every patient. It's an individual doctor's choice based on their patient's means and on the doctor's billing practices rather than based on any coercive measure or any penalties.

Unfortunately the ALP policy, while it does recognise the need for more medical student places and for more GP registrars, it unfortunately continues the six-year quite draconian bonding measures.

We're looking forward to the Senate committee, which will look at perhaps improving on the best of both of these packages - both the Government and the ALP package - and I believe that really the best thing to come out of the last couple of weeks is that health is now undoubtedly the number one domestic policy issue.

QUESTION: Will this stop the decline in bulk billing rates?

PHELPS: I think this may stem the decline in bulk billing rates, but not in the long term. We're going to try and keep Simon Crean to - we'll be keeping Simon Crean to his promise that this is just a down payment.

It is an acknowledgment that the Medicare Benefit Schedule is inadequate, it's grossly inadequate. It is some improvement on that but it's certainly not a measure that will meet the real cost of providing general practice services.

And for patients whose doctors do not bulk bill, they will find their healthcare costs continue to rise as practice costs rise.

QUESTION: Under Labor's plan there's nothing - doctors don't get any of these incentives unless they're bulk billing. ...... doctor groups will respond to this package?

PHELPS: I'll be consulting with my colleagues. Certainly the preliminary consultations that we've had today the response is very much that there are some further positives in this package. There are some negatives. And what we'd like to see is something of a hybrid of these two packages, so that patients and doctors can say yes, this is addressing the real problems in general practice. We're making progress on Medicare policy reform.

Thank you all.

Ends