EVERYONE is missing the point on the GP co-payment.
An unfair assault on the sick and the poor?
Hardly.
A device to deter overuse of
GP services and expensive, taxpayer-funded, medical testing?
Well, yes.
Economics teaches that we will always over consume things that are free.........................
Exclusions can be made for vulnerable groups. The New Zealand government recently excluded kids from their co-contribution.
Remember that the government already proposes a cap of 10 paid trips a year for children and concession card holders — so they’re up for a maximum of $70 a year.
For many others, a $7 contribution is a small price to pay.
If GP surgeries are flooded by sick people unable to afford care, we’ll soon hear about it.
In the meantime, if the small price signal deters some unnecessary use of public resources, all the better.
http://www.news.com.au/finance/econ...eeing-the-doctor/story-e6frflo9-1227037823594