AMA Budget Submission - Government Must Act Now To Preserve Medicare
President of the AMA, Dr Kerryn Phelps, will today present to the Prime Minister and the Health Minister the AMA's 2001-02 Federal Budget Submission, a fully costed plan for the survival of Medicare and for the effective delivery of quality medical services to the Australian community well into the future.
Dr Phelps said the AMA's budget submission provides the Government with a blueprint to set a solid foundation for the Australian health system for the next 20 years and beyond.
"It is not the time for short-term, election-driven decisions when it comes to the health of the Australian people," Dr Phelps said.
"We are calling for a total injection of more than $2 billion this year to ensure a healthy Australia now and in the future.
"Our initiatives will deliver savings of around $120 million a year in the short term, and more in the longer term.
"In the May Budget, the Government must provide adequate funding to ensure the ongoing viability of Medicare - the beating heart of our universal health system.
"Anything less than full implementation of the Relative Value Study (RVS) - and its recommendations on the fee schedule that holds Medicare together - would be fiddling at the edges and an admission that the Government is not committed to Medicare.
"The RVS will cost $1.5 billion a year, starting this year. Without it, Medicare will gradually become unworkable, leaving millions of low income Australians vulnerable."
Dr Phelps said the AMA is also calling on the Government for crucial funding in other important areas: public hospitals; indigenous health; programs to address the misuse of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs; general practice initiatives; information technology; and GST compensation.
"We will also make a case with the Government for the introduction of structured settlements for medical indemnity cases," Dr Phelps said.
"All governments must act on the medical indemnity crisis to stop the flow of doctors away from areas where they are needed most.
"The AMA's 2001-02 Budget Submission is a responsible and realistic plan for the Government to adopt in the best interests of people in need of health and medical services," Dr Phelps said.