From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Co-payments and the Cormack Foundation. While debate continues to simmer over the government’s GP co-payment plan, one tipster drew our attention to the idea's source. The original co-payment figure was $6, and it came from the Australian Centre for Health Research (ACHR), a small think tank set up by private health funds and hospitals. It turns out that like many think tanks, the ACHR is not all that far removed from the halls of power. The ACHR board is a who’s-who of head honchos from the private health sector, including Michael Walsh, chief executive of Cabrini Health in Melbourne. Cabrini Health’s chairman is Peter Matthey, who is the financial controller for the Cormack Foundation -- the Liberal Party’s biggest donor for many years. The Cormack Foundation’s influence on government policies has already been questioned this year, with Crikey revealing the foundation receives dividends from the big four banks, which lobbied the government successfully to repeal financial advice regulations.

Dinks,

In my view your argument up top does not stand up because the co payment is not going back into shoring up the medical system. We are being asked to fund new research by a government that has cut funding to the CSIRO and other research bodies. It is a new tax and I cynically believe it has nothing to do with limiting doctor visits by those who overuse the system. It has everything to do with dismantling Medicare bit by bit. If they had said the funds raised would be directed into hospitals, medical technology and the like I may have been a little more open to it. Although having read Geomac's comment at 2.01pm I would no longer be open to any new charge for any reason. It is just another Lib/Nat devious con.

The worst possible outcome for the Abbott government would be if its proposal for a $7 Medicare fee actually became law, Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler says.
Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Associate Professor Owler said public opinion was clearly against the proposal, announced in the May budget, for a $7 fee for GP visits, pathology services such as blood tests and diagnostic imaging services such as X-rays.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/governments-7-gp-fee-will-only-do-themselves-harm-ama-president-brian-owler-20140723-3cfcs.html#ixzz38MQsYfyj

YOU KNOW SOLOMON,     DINKS WAS RIGHT,    THERE REALLY WAS NO NEED FOR YOU TO MAKE THAT REMARK,   RE THE PILLS I TAKE,   JUST SHOWS WHAT SORT OF MENTALITY YOU HAVE,   I ACCEPTED THAT YOU DID NOT LIKE ANIMALS IN AN EARLIER POST,     SO NO NEED FOR THAT REMARK,     FACICIOUS OR NOT,    IT WAS  NOT NICE,   I JUST HOPE YOU NEVER HAVE TO RELY ON MEDICATION TO BE PAIN FREE  TO GET THROUGH YOUR DAY,  ,    HOPE A BLOODY BIG DOG GETS YOU,

That question came up a few weeks ago Vivity, whether children of low-income families will still be bulk billed and the answer was.. yes. I don't know if I can find this written anywhere, but I have heard this said at least three times. The govt.will not allow children to go sick. As a matter of fact regardless of all the scare tactics, this is not a third world country sick people will always receive medical care.  As for the money presumably going into research other than medical, have you got anything that confirms this..otherwise people are just assuming things. Yes money is also needed for other research and as far as I am aware, separate provisions are made for that. I guess we shall all have to wait and see, I have a feeling TA will not make many wrong moves from now on. He wants to remain PM!

HAVE just watched a current affair,    saying aout the wait in pulic hospitals,  and how they will rise if this payment comes in,     years ago i remember the hospitals charged also,   it was means tested,  but you had to pay to see doc,    will probably ring that back to deter people going there to,       must say though,    i have found the hospitals to be spot on,     about 9 years ago my husband had a heart attack,  i rang 000, and within 10 minuetes there was an ambulance and 2 carloads of paremedics there,   were 7 in there working on my hubsand,     and when i went to my doc nearly 3 years ago,   and told him i had this tingling in my leg, he wrote something on a note, and told me to get to the ALFRED immedietly,    my husband drove me,  ut when i went in and gave the nurse at the desk the note,   within less than 5 minuetes, i was in a gown and having an m,r,i,taken, i had had a stroke,   no complaints from me about the hospitals,    they are understaffed and over worked,    do a marvelous job,