Young families, elderly worse off under proposed $7 GP co-payment: study

Updated

Families will be worse off under the proposed GP co-payment, while the elderly and those with chronic conditions will be hardest hit, according to new research.

The University of Sydney study suggests a young family - classified as one with two children aged below 16 with two parents aged between 25-44 years - would pay an additional $184 more per year on average to access medical care.

A quarter of all Type 2 Diabetes patients would pay an additional $150 or more per year.

The study reinforces concerns from groups, such as the Consumers Health Forum and GP organisations, that introducing a co-payment for GP visits, pathology and imaging services could deter vulnerable groups from seeking medical care.

Estimated co-payment costs Self-funded retired couple (aged 65+ years, with no Commonwealth concession cards) - additional $244 per year on average

Older couple (aged 65+ years, pensioners with concession cards) - additional $199 per year on average

Average patient at a consultation who has Type 2 Diabetes - additional $120 per year

"The introduction of co-payments won't be shared equally," report co-author Dr Clare Bayram said.

"It will particularly affect people who need to use more medical and related services, such as older people and those with chronic health conditions.

"The proposed co-payments regime is likely to deter the most vulnerable in the community from seeking care due to higher costs that they would face."

The Federal Government has proposed a co-payment which would mean patients pay an extra $7 for seeing a GP, getting a blood test and having scans.

The proposal has been widely criticised and currently lacks sufficient political backing to be passed.

The study findings are based on national data from the 12 months leading up to March this year, with information taken from a continuous random survey of general practitioners' records of GP-patient encounters.

The University of Sydney researchers said a 2011 study found up to 13 per cent of people in some parts of the community put off seeing a GP or do not seek medical care due to cost issues.

"This barrier is most marked among disadvantaged groups," the researchers said.

The Australian Medical Association has rejected the co-payment in its current form but has held a meeting with Health Minister Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Tony Abbott about potential modifications.

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Topics: health, health-policy, government-and-politics, federal-government, budget, australia

First posted