How can a bright and intelligent person back a medical co-payment that discourages the not so well off from attending a doctor and possibly lead to them getting sicker?

Besides being dangerous for the persons involved it will become a drain on the public purse as doctors attend even sicker patients.

How can an intelligent person say we need a “price signal” to ensure we really think about it before going to the doctor.

We all know the length of time spent in the waiting room will be enough to make us consider the need to go before we actually do.

How can anyone argue that the well off are attending a doctor for free when they are prepaying through their Medicare levy?

How can a bright, intelligent person say they are introducing a co-payment to raise urgently needed funds and then not use them, rather for years to build up a reserve for future research?

How can a bright person think it is appropriate to introduce a co- payment to “save” Medicare which makes it harder for the less well off to afford to visit a doctor when it would be possible to increase the levy by a small amount (eg 0.1 per cent) which would raise any funds needed in a much fairer way — every one paying a little extra.

If Sussan Ley is bright she will stop this stupid initiative.

— GREG OATES,

Huon Creek