Medicare cuts threaten emergency departments

Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 7 : 14-Jan-15

Stephen Parnis, vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, has warned of increased stress on hospital emergency departments. He argued that the experience in the UK showed the Australian Government’s planned cuts worth $A3.5bn to the Medicare bulk billing system would lead to patients avoiding general practitioner (GP) visits and instead present at public hospitals. While Simon Judkins of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine agrees, he says an even greater issue will be patients with multiple illnesses failing to visit GPs as they can no longer afford to seek appropriate care

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Leave a comment