Cabinet expected to discuss health policy

Cabinet is expected to discuss health when it meets for the first time, after the issue almost cost it the election courtesy of Labor's Medicare scare campaign.

It's the issue that almost cost them the election and Health Minister Sussan Ley expects it to come up when cabinet meets for the first time.

"I would be surprised if health wasn't raised," she told reporters ahead of Thursday's meeting in Canberra.

Ms Ley says she will discuss the government's deeply unpopular GP rebate freeze plan with colleagues.

But she stopped short of repeating previous assurances that she wanted to see it lifted if efficiencies were found first.

"We have a budget process to go through," she said.

Ms Ley has met with key stakeholders including the Australian Medical Association since she was reappointed to the role last week, keen to show voters the government is focused on health after falling prey to Labor's election Medicare scare campaign.

She insists the GP co-payment remains "dead, buried and cremated" despite AMA president Michael Gannon suggesting its possible return.

"What I want to do is reassure Australian patients that bulk-billing rates at 85 per cent are higher under us than they ever were under Labor," she said.

"My commitment to patients is that we have a sustainable and affordable Medicare system that provides them with the highest quality access to their doctors and primary care."

Dr Gannon said patients who can afford to pay to see a GP should, insisting the government's previous attempts at a co-payment were flawed because they didn't allow doctors to decide who could afford to pay.


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Source: AAP


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