Greens want autism, ADHD treatment on Medicare after major parties’ splurge
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The news: The Greens have demanded the major parties go further on their Medicare commitments, calling for autism and ADHD treatments to be added to the scheme.
The context: In another pre-election health announcement, the Greens said the $181 million addition of autism and ADHD treatments to Medicare would be funded via taxes on big corporations — which it labels its ‘Robin Hood’ tax regime.
Its plan, which has been costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), would see the make ADHD and autism assessments available to people over the age of 25. It would expand the Medicare Benefits Schedule to cover all the costs of schedule fees associated with diagnoses.
But the PBO warned its assessment was “highly uncertain and sensitive to a range of assumptions”, with the number of diagnoses that would be made each year unclear.
“There are further inherent uncertainties around individuals’ behavioural responses to the addition of the MBS items,” the PBO wrote.
“The PBO notes that while increasing the MBS subsidies to 100% of schedule fees would reduce patients’ out-of-pocket costs, this alone will not guarantee free services for those MBS items as medical practitioners are able to set their own fees, which may reflect a broad range of factors.”
In recent years, advocacy groups have told parliament that ADHD assessments were currently costing up to $5000, with out-of-pocket expenses for autism assessment and treatment reaching as high as $3000.
The announcement adds to the Greens’ call for universal dental treatment to be added to Medicare.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attempting to make health a key election battleground, announcing a $8.5 billion splurge on Medicare to make bulk billing available to the vast majority of Australians.
Greens leader Adam Bandt claimed the move was the result of pressure from his party, but demanded parliament return so the legislation could be passed before the election.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also immediately matched Albanese’s commitment, unveiling his own $9 billion package, which he claims will be funded by cutting the public service.
What they said: “Labor has already adopted the Greens’ plan to expand Medicare to see the GP for free and getting these assessments covered too, as well as dental and mental health, are logical next steps,” Bandt said in a statement.
The source: Greens press release
