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Image Labor will never 're-introduce' medicare freeze 2:10 Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants voters to remember both medicare amounts when they vote on July 2.
Sue Dunlevy News Corp Australia Network
EXCLUSIVE
Doctors will launch TV advertisements to warn patients they will have to pay to see a doctor as they escalate their campaign against the Turnbull government’s six year freeze on Medicare rebates.
In an unprecedented move the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners will on Sunday launch two advertisements depicting a mother and a young girl delaying medical treatment they can’t afford.
“The Federal Government’s freeze on Medicare rebates means you’ll pay more to see a doctor,” the Advertisements say.
“In Australia your wealth should not affect your health”.
The group normally leaves medical politics to the AMA and its intervention in the election campaign underlines the depth of outrage in the medical community against the Medicare freeze.
Doctors are already displaying posters in their surgeries campaigning against the cuts and some are printing protest messages on prescriptions.
Two thirds of doctors have told two separate surveys they are planning to end bulk billing and introduce a $15 fee to see a doctor as a result of the freeze.
RACGP president Dr Frank Jones says the freeze will cost doctors on average $50,000 in income a year and to survive financially they will have to end bulk billing.
The ads will run until the federal election on July 2 but Dr Jones denies the ads are political.
“The RACGP has no political affiliation we simply want to engage with patients about the fiscal consequences of this policy,” he says.
The Labor Party last week committed to lifting the Medicare rebate freeze from January next year, it has also pledged to scrap the government’s $5 hike in prescription medicine prices.
Health Minister Sussan Ley this week said she understood doctors concerns about the cuts but said Treasury and Finance were not allowing her to end them.
Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull said the Medicare freeze could be absorbed because bulk billing rates had never been higher.
In a separate video posted on YouTube Dr Jones tells patients GP practices in some lower socio-economic areas will have to close as a result of the campaign.
“The message is clear GPs will not be able to bulk bill if the freeze continues and if you are sick you’ll pay more for being sick and no-one will be immune,” he said.
“Our college is now is the midst of one of our biggest public advocacy campaigns to alert patients and the general public about the profound ramifications to their health care provision at their very own GP,” he says.
Outgoing Australian Medical Association president Dr Brian Owler also lashed the government over its health policy in his parting address to the Australian Medical Association.
He says the government deliberately froze doctors and other medical groups out of decision making.
“As confirmed by the Minister herself this week, the health portfolio is not run by the Minister for Health. It is run by Treasury and Finance,” he said.
“The freeze is not just about GPs. It is about the out of pocket expenses for patients seeing a specialist or undergoing medical procedures. It affects the whole of the health system,” Professor Owler said.
Médicos de todo o país estão prontos para atacar o governo Turnbull em novos anúncios de televisão que alertam pacientes que as nomeações GP deixarão de ser gratuitos como eles vamp até sua campanha contra seis anos congelamento Medicare rebate da PM.

Os dois anúncios criados para lançar no domingo mostram uma jovem fêmea evitando procurar tratamento médico, porque ela é financeiramente incapaz de ver um médico devido a alterações propostas do Governo Turnbull a facturação em massa.

Estes anúncios fortemente apoiados chamar o Governo para as suas alterações propostas, dizendo que "na Austrália a sua riqueza não deve afectar a sua saúde", acrescentando que "os governos federal congelar sobre os descontos Medicare significa que você vai pagar mais para ver um médico."

Os médicos já começaram a manifestação contra o congelamento Medicare emplastrando cartazes promocionais dentro de cirurgias para fazer campanha contra os cortes, com os outros adotar outros métodos de ação e publicar mensagens de protesto em prescrições pacientes.

Dr. Frank Jones, presidente da RACGP diz que para sobreviver financeiramente, os médicos terão que cortar faturamento em massa todos juntos, como o congelamento, em média, é dito para custar médicos um adicional de $ 50.000 por ano.

Duas pesquisas que estão atualmente em circulação no que diz respeito às alterações propostas já registrado que dois terços dos médicos estão a planear introduzir novas taxas, incluindo uma taxa de US $ 15 para ver um médico, como resultado do congelamento.

Dr Jones sublinhou que áreas socioeconómicos mais desfavorecidos estaria no maior perda com o congelamento porque muitas práticas GP teria que fechar, como resultado da campanha. Ele disse: "A mensagem é GPs claras não será capaz de lei em massa se o congelamento continua e se você está doente, você vai pagar mais por estar doente e ninguém ficará imune."

Os anúncios foram negados a basear-se politicamente, mas vai correr ao lado da eleição Federal até o dia 2 de julho, em uma tentativa para GP de informar seus pacientes sobre as sanções económicas desta política proposta.