AMA President to take IBNR tax battle to marginal seats

Dr Glasson said the IBNR tax was claiming victims every day with orthopaedic surgeons, obstetricians and other staff specialists leaving hospitals in droves.

"This unfair and unreasonable tax is making health care unaffordable and inaccessible for millions of Australians," Dr Glasson said.

"The poorest and the sickest are being disadvantaged further by this tax.

"We have sought to work with the Government to fix the medical indemnity system through arrangements that would make insurance affordable for the long term and provide certainty and security for patients and communities.

"Hitting patients with a new tax has sent the processes back to square one.

"For over a year we have been telling the Government that without tort law reform and a national care scheme for severely injured patients, the IBNR scheme would not work and would be rejected by doctors. 

"We want the IBNR tax removed and we want the whole indemnity system repaired."

Dr Glasson said he is visiting regional areas because these are the places where the medical workforce shortages are worst and where patients are already paying more for their health care than other Australians.

Dr Glasson and a delegation from the Federal AMA and AMA NSW will visit the electorates of Eden-Monaro, Gilmore, Paterson, Hunter, Lyne, Page, Richmond and McPherson over the next fortnight.  Doctor protest rallies will be held in Bega, Batemans Bay, Maitland, Port Macquarie, and Tweed Heads.

Dr Glasson will seek to meet with the media and members of the public in all these communities to explain how the Federal Government has got it so wrong with the new IBNR tax on patients.

He will explain how the tax will rip medical services out of these towns and make health care more expensive and harder to find for hard working Australians.

CONTACT:         John Flannery            (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761