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VETERANS COULD LOSE HEALTH CARE OVER
GOVERNMENT INACTION

                 Australian Democrats Leader Senator Andrew Bartlett in the Senate questioned the Government about what they would do to ensure that veterans received essential health care. Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill responded, in part, that he would refer the matter to the Minister.

                Senator Bartlett was responding to a report by the AMA President Dr. Bill Glasson that the local medical officer (LMO) scheme did not reflect the special care and time that veterans needed.

                In a poll conducted by the Australian Medical Association, 60% of General Practitioners who treat war veterans under a Federal Government rebate scheme are on the verge of withdrawing their services.

                "Veterans are being short-changed on the level of health care promised to them," said Senator Bartlett.

                "If GP's are going to withdraw from the scheme, this will leave thousands of veterans unable to access health services.

                "The Prime Minister is willing to commit Australian service men and women to war without the endorsement of the Australian Parliament; it is short changing returned service men and women on the level of health care promised to them.

                "It is an unfair situation that the rebate to GP's for a number of items is actually less than the Medical Plus rebate for non-veterans.

                "The Democrats believe that the Government must urgently increase the rebates to GPs for veterans' health services to prevent GPs from leaving the scheme," Senator Bartlett concluded.

Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition - Australia

P O Box 183 Nairne, SA 5252

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