Limit Of $5 On Medical Fees

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32323, 15 June 1970, Page 11

Limit Of $5 On Medical Fees

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

CANBERRA, June 14.

Australia’s new health benefits scheme, under which patients will pay no more than $5 for any medical service or operation, will come into effect on July 1.

Benefits under the scheme apply to members of health insurance funds. Doctors will charge a “most common fee” —set by the Government and Australian Medical Association—for any medical services.

The cost of the patient of any service, including an operation with anaesthetic and other services, will not exceed five dollars. The Minister of Health (Dr Alexander Forbes), after speaking after the Senate approved the scheme on Friday, emphasised that the five dollar maximum charge applied, also to specialist treatment, where the patient was referred by a doctor. At the most common fee, a patient will pay only 80 cents for a surgery visit and $1.20 for a home visit. Dr Forbes said that subsidised health insurance would become available from July 1 to many more low-income families.

Free health insurance coverage would be provided for families whose incomes did

not exceed $42.50 a week, for newly arrived migrants and for people receiving sickness and unemployment benefits. Families with incomes between $42.50 and $45.50 a week would need to pay only one-third of the normal health insurance contribution rate. Families with incomes up to $48.50 will pay two thirds of the usual contribution rate. The . scheme—first announced by the Prime Minister (Mr John Gorton), during last October’s general election campaign—passed through Parliament in spite of controversy over many aspects of the proposals. The Government and A.M.A. clashed several times over the setting of the most common fee, and over the responsibility for future increases in doctors’ fees. Dr Forbes said that the Government would contribute an extra $33.5m for benefits payments. Most insurance fund members would pay increased contributions. Fund contributions are expected to be about 75 cents a week for a family.