Health Policy of Last Resort Blame the Doctors
AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said today she was shocked by Health Minister Tony Abbott's extraordinary attack on doctors over three matters for which he has had the total cooperation of the AMA and the medical profession.
Dr Capolingua said the Minister's unprovoked criticism of doctors' performance in informed financial consent (IFC), the Medicare safety net, and medical advertising appears to be a case of political point scoring by blaming doctors for policy failure on the eve of an election.
"The Minister's speech last night was a classic case of using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut," Dr Capolingua said.
"We are in agreement and working with him in all three areas, the only point of difference being the Minister's unreasonable expectation that the IFC rate should be 100 per cent of private hospital procedures.
"It would appear that the Minister is setting the scene for the Government to legislate to compel doctors to provide (IFC) to all patients in every situation, even when it is impossible for them to position to do so.
"Doctors are not in a position to discuss fees with patients who are unconscious, in pain, or in distress in accident or emergency, or when complications occur during surgery.
"The doctors are busy saving lives.
"Well over 85 per cent (and rising) of patients receive full IFC for their private hospital procedures.
"The small number of cases where IFC is not provided have been addressed by a joint AMA/Government education campaign over the last twelve months, and which the Government has funded for another year.
"You would think the Minister would be applauding the improved IFC rates, not recklessly exploiting an already identified area of non-compliance.
"To threaten compulsion through legislation at this stage smacks of pre-election populist politics with the old 'greedy doctors' line about gap payments.
"I remind the Minister that doctors charge fees. Gap payments are the domain of the private health funds and the Government."