The federal government says it is still working through the detail of how rural hospitals will be funded under its ambitious health reform plan.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd performed a minor backflip on Tuesday by announcing small hospitals were unlikely to be subject to activity-based funding like their bigger rivals.
But on Wednesday Health Minister Nicola Roxon would not say if a block payment would come on top of activity-based funding, or stand alone.
"There's lots of different ways of doing that," she told ABC Radio. "We are keen to keep discussing some of the technical details."
She denied the move was a surprise, saying the government had made a clear commitment about a community service obligation.
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"Through our discussions with the states and territories, this has been expanded upon further.
"It's always been acknowledged that a particular loading would be required." Just a day after appealing to the coalition to work with the government on health, Ms Roxon was taking aim at Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for his lack of involvement.
"Mr Abbott has been offered a briefing on our health reform proposals when the plan was first released, and so far he hasn't taken up that offer," she said, noting that Liberal leaders in South Australia and Tasmania had "jumped at the chance".
"It's strange that Mr Abbott seems to be so determined to throw mud that he's not actually prepared to pick up the toolbox and actually be involved in this debate."
Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton defended his boss, saying previous government briefings had been a "complete farce".
"The departmental officials refuse to answer the most basic of questions, and I'm not going to be part of a political stunt process," he told ABC Television.
The government had rejected the coalition's bipartisan support to work through health issues, particularly on e-health, when the two first met following the 2007 election.
Meanwhile, the opposition downplayed Mr Abbott's commitment to provide 3500 beds on Tuesday, saying its official policy had yet to be announced.
"We can't just go out there and announce the beds because we don't know without talking to the states exactly where the beds are," Mr Dutton said.
"We will make promises we can deliver on ... we want to have our policy fully costed."
