Labor : Medicare “Review” Opens The Door To More Cuts To Health

Labor has said it has deep concerns about today’s announcement of the Abbott/Turnbull Government’s Medicare “review” which opens the door to more cuts to health.

Labor has highlighted that before the last election the Liberals promised “no cuts to health” but today’s announcement shows that the leader might have changed but nothing has changed when it comes to health.

Malcolm Turnbull’s move could end public funding for thousands of procedures and transfer billions of dollars of costs on to sick Australians and their families.

Coming less than a fortnight after his leadership coup, Malcolm Turnbull’s first move in health as Prime Minister should ring alarm bells for patients and across the entire medical profession

In government, Labor worked with the medical profession to improve the quality and safety of Medicare, and where savings were realised, they were reinvested back into the health system.

By contrast, instead of working with clinicians the Liberals have sidelined the medical profession and opened the way to rip billions out of the health system.

“Let’s be clear, when the minister talks about “a Medicare-funded service, procedure or test they considered to be unnecessary, out-dated or even potentially unsafe” she is talking about potentially ending Medicare funding for hundreds, even thousands of procedures.” Said Shadow Minister for Health Catherine King.

Labor said it is a deeply concerning sign, as Tony Abbott declared yesterday, his hard right wing agenda remains intact, and only the salesman has changed.