. AUS RLIA
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 27 February 1985
JOINT STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES
The Premier, Mr Mulock, Dr Blewett and I met yesterday with
the Federal President of the AMA, Dr Lindsay Thompson, and
other members of his negotiating team.
We give an unequivocal guarantee that it is not the intention
of our Governments, or the Australian Labor Party, to
nationalise medical practice in Australia.
We recognise that it is vital to the continuation of high
medical standards in Australia to promote and encourage
private practice in public hospitals.
~-Yesterday's meeting identified a number of matters which are
~ central to achieving this objective. Firm proposals on these
matters will be put to Cabinet in two weeks time. Specific
announcements on their implementation will follow.
They are:
1. Arrangements to make private health insurance more affordable.
2. The automatic classification of privately insured persons
as private patients unless they make a positive decision to
be public.
3. Reduction in the cost of being treated as a private patient,
by requiring only a single $ 10 gap for all the medical
services required during a hospital admission.
4. The principle of community rating should be reinforced. The
Commonwealth Government will take positive action to ensure
that the cost of hospital insurance is fair for all
Australians.
The above matters, which contribute to ensuring a suitable mix
of public and private patients in public hospitals will be
discussed with all State Governments and the Voluntary Health
Insurance Association of Australia during the next week.
The Governments have accepted the need for additional funding
for teaching hospitals. We have asked the AMA to put forward
specific proposals on the funding needs of the teaching
hospitals. These proposals will also be considered as a matter
of priority by Cabinet.
2.
Detailed negotiations on methods of remuneration to doctors
for the treatment of public patients are proceeding.
Discussions are also continuing on several other complex issues
brought forward by the AMA.
The current negotiations are vital to a sensible settlement of
this prolonged dispute which has caused severe hardship to the
sick and injured. The negotiations will proceed while the NSW
medical profession follows the AMA's call to make themselves
available for normal duties.