The Spectator Australia's Terry Barnes says the federal government has made a problem for itself by giving a very short read time into implementing their changes to Medicare - allowing Labor to run another "Medi-scare campaign".
The remarks come after changes were made under the Medicare Benefits Schedule which will affect orthopaedic, general and heart surgery, and come into effect on July 1.
"The problem the government has made for itself is it's announced these changes and put a very short read time into starting it, which is the 1st of July," he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
"They haven't really thought about how they're selling it and Greg Hunt who's usually a great micromanager I think has had a bit of other things on his plate like the pandemic and hasn't really thought about how this is being explained and sold."
Mr Barnes said if the health minister and the prime minister get on top of this and possibly even ex
The Consumers Health Forum has urged the Federal Government to consider a short pause on the introduction of proposed changes to Medicare benefits in to.
What Is rTMS Therapy and How Is It Used to Treat Depression?
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A line in this week’s Federal Budget allocating $288.5 million to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy might pass most people by.
This is a brain stimulation technique that’s been used to treat conditions such as depression for almost 10 years in Australia, but which has not been funded through Medicare and so has had very limited availability.
Soon, it will be available on the Medicare Benefits Schedule for people with depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments, funding I’ve led applications for since 2012, and treatment I provide.