Judith Collins National Health Spokeswoman

20 August 2004

Govt policies push up the cost of visits to the doctor

The Government's policies are pushing up the cost of visits to the doctor, says National's Health spokeswoman, Judith Collins.

"Compliance costs for small business have been driven up by Labour and, as a direct response, doctors have been forced to increase their prices."

She is responding to a survey that shows visits to the doctor in 'interim-funded' Primary Health Organisations were higher than in non-PHO areas.

Ms Collins says potential PHO commitments have prompted doctors to reassess their charges.

"And part of their reassessment includes increased compliance costs like those in the Government's Holidays Act."

Ms Collins says it is an indictment on Labour's PHOs, which are supposed to provide low cost healthcare, that generally both adults and children aged 6 to 17 years are being charged more to see a doctor at an interim-funded PHO clinic than they are at a non-PHO clinic.

"PHOs were a flawed idea from the start. Any plan that dictates the cost of a visit to the doctor on the basis of the ethnic mix of a community is destined to fail."

ENDS

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