AMA Dr Michael Gannon, ABC Radio National - Federal Budget

 Subjects:        Federal Budget 

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  Now, Dr Michael Gannon is the president of the Australian Medical Association, the peak body that represents doctors. He joins me now.

Michael Gannon, welcome.

MICHAEL GANNON:  Good evening, Patricia.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  This 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy hits everyone. Do you think it's a fair measure?

MICHAEL GANNON:  Look, this is how they've decided to fund some of the substantial increases we've seen in health spending. We didn't specifically call for an increase in the Medicare levy. I've just come out of the health lock-up and found out about it in the last 10 minutes, but I think it's a fair measure as long as every red cent is hypothecated for spending in the health arena.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  And what do you make of the- I understand it's a phased change to the Medicare freeze. Do you think it's a good outcome for patients?

MICHAEL GANNON:  Well, I think what the Government's done tonight is they've begun to win back much of the goodwill they lost with their disastrous 2014 Budget. It's not what we would've wanted, which is re-indexation on 1 July this year; it's not even re-indexation across the profession. But what it does do is it gives patients certainty, it gives doctors certainty, and the extra investment of $1 billion over the forward estimates is warmly welcomed by the AMA.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  And fully funding the NDIS. That's, I understand, the Government's argument for why it's putting up some of the Medicare levy. Is that a good way to go about it?

MICHAEL GANNON:  Well, they need to pay for it somehow. Now, we've always said that it's absolutely essential that money from the Medicare levy goes into health. Of course, the NDIS is responsible for many mental health services. We can't just have the Medicare levy used by this Government and future governments as their preferred method of extra taxation. But as long as it's going into funding crucial, evidence-based health services we'll support it.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  And just finally, does this give something for the doctors, for the AMA, to say, well, this issue is now gone, this Medicare campaign is now finished? Are you satisfied?

MICHAEL GANNON:  Well, look, we welcome this Budget. They're undoing some of the harm that they've done, and what it does do is it gives the Minister the clean air to start to talk about other elements of the health system. This can be the beginning of a better relationship with Australians everywhere, every single one of them who's a patient at some stage, and certainly with Australia's health workforce. This amounts to nearly $3 billion extra money going into health across the entire system. The Minister has shown that he's got the ability to be consultative, to listen, and we see so many areas of this Budget, like recognising who are the neediest patients, like recognising the importance of diagnostic imaging to clinical decision-making, like improving vaccination, and like listening to our Indigenous health report card. I support a brand new way forward.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  Thank you so much for your time.

MICHAEL GANNON:  Alright, thank you, Patricia.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:  Dr Michael Gannon there. He's the president of the Australian Medical Association, the peak body that represents doctors.

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