Liberal strategist advises PM to borrow Labor’s health policies

With virtually no agenda of his own, Scott Morrison is being advised by senior Liberals and doctors to borrow Labor’s health policies to rebuild faith with those who voted against him.

Cancer patients could still get billions of dollars of extra Medicare rebates promised by Labor as a senior Liberal strategist and the nation’s doctors group advising Scott Morrison to borrow the policy.

The re-elected Coalition government should also take a close look at adopting Labor’s plan to provide $1,000 worth of free dental care to pensioners, strategists say.

It also needs to do more on private health insurance, they add.

NSW Senator Arthur Sinodinos, who served as John Howard’s chief of staff and later a minister under Tony Abbott, said that after a close election result the winner needs to reach out to people who did not vote for them.

“You have to reach out to those people who weren’t inclined to vote for you and one of the ways to do this is to look at the Opposition policies that were potentially attractive to people and see what can be done,” he said.

“Scott Morrison can be the great unifier, he can create a big tent at the centre of politics.

“I think part of that is when people, even on the other side, have a good policy we have a good look at it and see whether it can be accommodated.”

Mr Sinodinos has had his own personal battle with cancer and its high financial cost.

He returned to the political fray early this year after treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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Arthur Sinodinos has had his own battle with cancer. Picture ABC

A Consumer’s health Forum surgery revealed one-in-four cancer patients had out of pocket expenses of more than $10,000 because health funds and Medicare rebates no longer cover the full cost of treatment.

Labor had promised to spend $2.3 billion increasing Medicare rebate’s for three million visits to cancer specialists and for six million cancer scans.

It also promised to spend $500 million cutting cancer surgery wait times in public hospitals.

Labor also pledged to pay for Medicare to provide $1,000 worth of free dental care for pensioners every three years,

Asked what the Morrison Government should adopt, Mr Sinodinos named Labor’s health policies.

“Some of the policies that were put out there like whether we do more in areas like health, cancer, for example, bear in mind there are a lot of other diseases that can have out of pockets costs,” he told ABC Radio.

“You mentioned dental, there are particular issues with some groups in the community.”

Doctors are pushing Scott Morrison to adopt Labor’s cancer plan.

Australian Medical Association president Dr Tony Bartone also called on the government to act on out of pocket fees for cancer.

Labor’s policy would have doubled the Medicare rebate for cancer specialists bringing it almost to the level recommended by the AMA.

To stop a budget blowout and to stop doctors increasing their fees they would have been be required to bulk bill patients to get Labor’s higher rebate.

“It’s a conversation we’re happy to have, we’re happy to sit down with the government a see a path forward ,” said Dr Bartone.

President of the Private Cancer Specialists of Australia Dr Christopher Steer said he would work with the Morrison Government to adopt Labor’s key cancer care initiatives and go further by providing all cancer patients with care co-ordinators similar to the cancer nurses available to breast and prostate cancer patients.

“We have worked with cancer advocacy groups to identify recommendations that we know, if adopted by the Morrison Government, would go a long way to reduce, if not eliminate completely the main out of pocket expenses for cancer patients,” he said.

“This election gave a voice to Australia’s most vulnerable of patients and an overdue recognition that if you are fighting for your life, you shouldn’t be thinking “I can’t afford this”,” he said.

Private Healthcare Australia chief Rachel David who presides over a declining private health insurance industry said spiralling out of pocket health expenses were the biggest issues affecting health fund members.

Nearly half (44 per cent) of all health fund members face medical gap fees when they use their private health insurance and two per cent of these exceeded $10,000.

The government needs to expedite and beef-up a fee transparency website it has planned and require doctors to list their fees on it rather than allow it to be voluntary, she said.

Health funds would be supportive of raising Medicare rebates for medical procedures where doctors signed a contract and agreed to bulk bill patients in return for the higher payout.

Consumers Health Forum chief Leanne Wells also urged the government to rethink its approach to out of pocket heath costs.

“Our 2018 survey showed that this issue plagues both those with insurance as well as those without. It prompts many people to delay going to the GP and filling scripts,” she said.