Families in Scullin will be among the hardest hit by Tony Abbott’s new GP Tax, new Medicare analysis has shown, said Andrew Giles MP, Federal Member for Scullin.
In the Scullin electorate, families could be forced to fork out more than $5.9 million every year to visit the doctor if Tony Abbott breaks another election promise and introduces a new GP Tax.
In an unprecedented attack on Medicare, the Abbott Government plans to charge Australians who can least afford it to see the doctor.
“Make no mistake, the GP Tax will hurt people who can least afford it,” said Andrew Giles MP.
“Families in Scullin who are already struggling to make ends meet, cannot afford to pay to take their sick child or elderly parent to the doctor.”
“Scullin has the highest bulk-billing rates of any electorate in Victoria, with 93% of services bulk-billed.”
“This means 93% of visits to the GP are free. A GP Tax will end this.”
“Hospital emergency departments will be under greater pressure as people put off seeing a doctor because of the cost.”
“The Government is talking about $6 now but for how long will that last? What’s to stop this new GP Tax from just going up and up?”
“Labor will continue to fight any attempt by this government to dismantle universal healthcare in Australia.”
In Scullin, people accessed GP services 980,412 times in 2010-2011. A $6 GP Tax could cost $5.9 million.