Less than two weeks out from the federal budget, Labor is ramping up its demands on the Turnbull government to abandon the Medicare rebate freeze.
Health Minister Greg Hunt indicated in March he was close to reaching a deal with the medical profession over the freeze, which caps the amount doctors get back for a standard 20-minute consultation and is slated continue until at least 2020.
Labor health spokeswoman Catherine King said any moves to pick and choose which parts of the freeze to undo and when would be a massive blow to health professionals and patients.
"If the government thinks a plan to drop only parts of their freeze is good news, they are joking. This would be an insult to Australians and yet another blow to universal health care," Ms King said on Wednesday.
"The freeze is impacting access beyond GPs, including psychologists, oncologists and other life-saving specialists."
Doctors have suggested the Turnbull government will be "burnt to toast" if an impasse over the Medicare rebate freeze is not broken.
The Australian Medical Association has long warned GPs cannot continue absorbing the increasing costs of providing medical care, arguing the government should at least restore indexation.
