Labor to end doctors’ pay freeze

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 19-May-16

The Australian Labor Party intends to scrap the freeze on the Medicare rebate for visits to a GP if it wins the federal election. The rebate was slated to remain at around $A38 until 2020, but Labor proposes to abolish it the start of 2017. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has indicated that this policy will be partially funded by not proceeding with some of the company tax cuts that were outlined in the Federal Government’s May 2016 Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Coalition looks to insurance rebate tweak

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Sep-15

The Australian Government may consider changes to the private health insurance rebate. Health Minister Sussan Ley says feedback from consumers shows that the introduction of means-testing for the rebate has resulted in higher out-of-pocket costs and forced some consumers to downgrade their insurance coverage. Income-based means-testing for the 30 per cent rebate was introduced by the former Australian Labor Party government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA