Malcolm Turnbull remains defiant his government's GP rebate freeze does not justify patients being charged hefty fees to see a doctor.
The Prime Minister refused to back down on Friday against threats from numerous doctors groups that patients will be slugged co-payments ranging from $15 to $100 to see a doctor as a result of the policy.
The effect of the government's freeze to the rebate it pays for services such as GP visits will amount to just 60 cents this year - hardly justification for doctors to slug patients $15, he said.
The money saved as a result goes towards better mental health services and putting life-saving medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, he said.
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"The argument that these large increases in doctors' charges are a consequence of indexation not being continued is simply not correct," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney.
"If a doctor wishes to charge more, he or she may attribute that higher charge to whatever they like - but they cannot credibly attribute it to not getting an extra 60 cents this year."
Health department modelling obtained under Freedom of Information laws last year suggested benefits for standard GP consultations would be $2.10 less by 2017/18 under the freeze.
But Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon insists doctors are at breaking point.
They can't keep operating on the $37.05 rebate they receive.
"Their ability to continue to take the hit, the ability to continue to provide a quality service at the level of the patient rebate is nearly over," he told reporters in Canberra.
"Sadly for some people, paying $5 out of pocket might be enough to lead to them deferring an important visit to the doctor."
Doctors have long rallied against the freeze, initially introduced by Labor in its 2013/14 budget and extended to 2019/20 in the Turnbull government's most recent budget.
Labor has pledged to lift the freeze from January 1 with a $12 billion injection, painting itself as the defender of Medicare in an election it insists is about healthcare.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has refused to back down on his scare campaign that the coalition intends to privatise Medicare, insisting that policies which seek to palm the cost of healthcare onto patients is privatisation.
That's despite Dr Gannon rejecting the suggestion the freeze was tantamount to privatisation.
"You can have Malcolm Turnbull or you can have Medicare, but you can't have both," he said.
"A vote for Labor is a vote to save Medicare."
