VETERANS ONCE AGAIN LET DOWN BY LIBERALS

The Commonwealth Ombudsman submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into the compensation and rehabilitation for veterans highlighting the difficulty veterans are having in accessing health services is deeply concerning but not surprising.  Labor has been raising concerns about the Liberals Medicare freeze, its flow on effect to the Repatriation fee schedule, and how this is limiting access to medical services for our veterans. At every stage, the Government has arrogantly dismissed our concerns.  The Ombudsman has exposed how wrong the Government is and demonstrates what veterans, the Australian Medical Association and Labor has been saying for some time – the Government’s ongoing Medicare freeze is limiting access to medical treatment for veterans.  In addition, the report highlights that multiple health checks and excessive delays have sadly become the norm for many veterans applying for assistance from DVA.  This is not the first report detailing these types of concerns and it is incumbent on the Government and the Department to step up and take action to ensure our veterans receive the services they need and are not subject to unnecessary delays.  Unfortunately, the experiences highlighted by the Ombudsman reflect many of the concerns veterans and their loved ones have been expressing for some time.  Labor urges the Government to restore remove the Medicare freeze immediately and ensure our veterans are getting all the support they need, when they need it.