Fed: Costello shoots down doctors' budget request =2
AMA president Kerryn Phelps said the community would not accept a federal budget withno new health spending as forecast by the government.
"While the government seeks to focus on defence and security issues, it cannot affordto ignore the major domestic policy priority, which is health," Dr Phelps said.
She described Australian health policy as reaching a crossroads.
"Medicare is under threat, bulk-billing is dead and we have towns and suburbs rightacross Australia without a doctor.
"Without urgent action, the poor, the elderly, the chronically ill, pensioners andlow-income families will have difficulty getting to see a doctor."
The AMA wants the Medicare levy, which already raises $5 billion a year, jacked upto raise an extra $2 billion.
The AMA also recommends:
* increased spending through the Commonwealth Medical Benefits Schedule, the PharmaceuticalBenefits Scheme and Australian Health Care Agreements as a percentage of GNP.
* Refocused spending to ensure access and affordability of health care to disadvantagedgroups including indigenous, aged and low-income people as well as people living in outer-urbanand rural areas.
The AMA has called for a doubling of money allocated to the primary health care ofindigenous Australians - and increase of more than $250 million.
AAP rmg/sb/gl/de
KEYWORD: BUDGET AMA 2 CANBERRA
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