Access and service – two of the cuts in the new budget
The Abbott Government has for weeks been forewarning severe cuts and for a lot of pain to come from their first budget, released in a fortnight. As part of the budget, it’s been suggested that we’ll soon have to pay $6 to see a GP – a co-payment many are up in arms about, claiming it’s against Australia’s revered public health system. Among those who will ‘feel the pain’ of the budget are those who are in most need of free health care – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This payment, along with other cuts to funding and programs will see yet another hurdle for Indigenous Australians to access health services . Zoe Ferguson looks at what the co-payment and budget cuts could mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health.