By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
THE scrapping of Medicare Locals in last week’s Federal Budget has at least one positive, according to the Dandenong-based branch’s chairman.
Dr Nick Demediuk, of South-Eastern Melbourne Medicare Local, says the network – to be dumped from mid-2015 – had a “dumb name”.
“It’s not a Medicare office – it has nothing to do with it.”
The 61 branches – designed to co-ordinate primary health care services and programs – will be replaced by a lesser number of Primary Health Networks
Dr Demediuk said the new networks would be “aligned” to hospital areas.
He was confident Dandenong’s office would be retained, taking on Southern Health’s service area.
He said other budget measures – such as under-30s waiting six months for Newstart and co-payments for visiting a GP – could have a “higher impact here than wealthier suburbs”.
“For most of us, paying $7 to visit a GP to fund medical research is a good thing. But you’ve got to have a filter where the lowest socio-economic groups get protected.”
