Women find doctors’ fees too expensive

Press, 21 May 1987, Page 9

Women find doctors’ fees too expensive

An increasing number of women can no longer afford to see their doctors, says a spokeswoman for The Health Alternatives for Women (T.H.A.W.), Ms Christine Bird.

In recent weeks a number of women had approached T.H.A.W. with health problems that needed to be diagnosed and treated, Ms Bird said.

“They are not just minor problems but problems with worrying symptoms that need to be diagnosed by a doctor. “We cannot replace what doctors do nor do we want to so we are referring them to doctors but they cannot afford to go.”

T.H.A.W. had a small fund of $5OO, given by a religious group, which it was using to pay doctors’ fees for some of the women, said Ms Bird. "We have not publicised this very much because the demand would mean the fund would run out very quickly. We also feel really bad that women are having to be in a position to need charity to get health care.” Many women did net go

to a doctor unless they were “really, really sick” because the cost was so high, said Ms Bird. “Other women save up their illnesses and go along with a great big list. Others are turning to alternative health because they think if they take a dietary supplement they will not need to see a doctor.

“A general practitioner now charges about $2O. Then there are prescription charges — if women have the money to go to the doctor they frequently do not have the money to pay for the prescription.”

One woman who went to a doctor recently was charged $2l for the visit then had to pay $8.40 for the prescription, she said.

“We are getting more and more calls from people who are concerned about chronic problems such as blood sugar levels or blood pressure, who say they cannot afford to see a doctor all the time and do we know anywhere they can go that is cheaper? "They are not told by their doctor that they can see a practice nurse for these things instead of a

doctor; and some places do not have a practice nurse.” Women who approached T.H.A.W. came from a broad cross-sec-tion of the community, said Ms Bird. “We tend not to ask people too many questions about their circumstances because we know how bad they are going to feel (about asking for charity).” Preventive health measures were also affected by high doctor’s fees, she said. “Things such as tests for cervical cancer are going out the window because women do not go to the doctor unless they have to. Urging women to have regular pap smears so that cervical cancer can be caught early is just not worth it because women cannot afford to go.

“It is dangerous and it is completely against what community health groups are trying to do, which is to prevent ill-health. “Doctors have priced themselves out of the market with regard to preventive health care and primary health care,” Ms Bird said.