Senate inquiry vindicates AMA stance on mental health cuts
The announcement today of a Senate inquiry into the Government’s funding and administration of mental health services follows persistent lobbying by the AMA and other medical groups.
The Community Affairs References Committee will look at the impact of changes to the Better Access Program on patients with mental illness.
AMA Vice President, Professor Geoffrey Dobb, said today that the AMA has been a vocal critic of the cuts to Medicare rebates for GP mental health services since Budget night.
“We have contacted all members of the Federal Parliament urging them to convince the Government to reverse the cuts,” Prof Dobb said.
“It is clear now that families with members affected by mental illness have been raising the same concerns with their MPs and Senators.
“The new arrangements would hinder access to quality GP care and would seriously disadvantage mental health patients.
“From November, patients with mental illness would be forced to pay more for their care than people with other complex and chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, high cholesterol, or arthritis.
“Senators have heard our concerns and the concerns of their constituents and must now look closely at these changes and convince the Government with real evidence from their communities that theses cuts will hit families hard.
“Making it more difficult and more expensive for people with mental illness to see their GP for quality personalised care is unacceptable at a time when the Government claims it is investing heavily across the whole mental health sector
“The AMA acknowledges the positive steps involved in the Government’s recent mental health package, but it is not good policy to take from one part of the mental health budget to give to another.
“People with mental illness who rely heavily on the relationship with their local GP are being asked to help pay for the Government’s mental health package.
“The Government must reverse this decision so that affordable access to GP mental health services in the community can be maintained,” Prof Dobb said.
The AMA will today commence a survey of GPs across Australia to assess the potential impact of the Medicare patient rebate cuts on the provision of services to people with mental illness.
23 June 2011
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