By: Rena Zurawel

Rena Zurawel — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:23:37 +0000

A system in which everybody gets trapped the blame game akin to dance macabre begins.
Patients are trapped and they do not understand why they have to pay ‘gaps’ and can never work out estimated costs of their treatment themselves. The system is shrouded in mystery. Each time one goes to the doctors’ can expect a nasty surprise. Then you go to the chemist’s with a prescription only to find out that you have to pay .. $50 for nasal drops/spray.
In hospital, the confusion gets even further: what is or what is not covered by Medicare and what is covered by Medibank Private or so called Mutual (God knows what). When it comes to the dentists’ … well many Australians have already opted for the Philippines or Vietnam. The service is excellent and heaps cheaper, even including the costs of holidaying there while waiting for crowns or whatever.
The doctors struggle with overheads, GST, licence, liability insurance, registration, paperwork beyond comprehnsion, rent, stress, work overload, keeping abreast current technology etc., and they still earn much less than i.e. a CEO who gets his money, never mind the performance.
The State and Federal bodies are at odds bickering over funds, GST, overlapping services, urban and rural responsibilities, remote areas health programs, maintenance of existing infrastructure and building new facilities, etc. etc.
And the costs are rising. Cui bono?
Pharmaceutical companies lobby the governments to buy things we do not often need.
On the other hand, things we do need are too costly to be considered. For some reasons we cannot shop around in i.e. Europe for cheaper alternatives unless it is only Europe that produce things (dental equipment).
Production cost for many tablets is about 1 cent per tablet. We pay through the nose for a dozen.
Opulent country like Australia should be able to provide free dental services for school children.
After all, we do not need new prisons, we do not need spectacular detention centres to stay empty most of the time and we do not need half of the military junk we buy for no reasons - Abrams tanks come to mind.
I think it is about taxes we pay and how we spend the public money. And how we negotiate with pharmaceutical companies. Do we really need GST?

Comments on: The fees war must have Hippocrates turning in his grave

By: Rena Zurawel