[AusNOG] Gillard promises video doctors with NBN

[John Edwards]

On 17/08/2010, at 1:47 PM, Andrew Oskam wrote:

> I just think it's a bit optimistic to have plans to spend so much money on the 1st term when so much is being spent already.

This is one of those economic benefit thingies I was mentioning earlier.

(Disclaimer: I have done a lot of work with a vendor of medical videoconferencing services)

People are already getting medicare rebates for physical visits to a doctor, but the law stipulates that you actually have to visit the doctor to qualify.

This promise (which a number of parties have been lobbying for for some time now!) will mean that you can get a medicare rebate for a video consultation.

While this will may well increase the number of rebates due to greater ease-of-use, it's essentially the same rebate money that was being spent anyway.

The "benefit" to most of us is that doctors won't have to pay for a physical waiting room, and people won't have to burn hydrocarbons to "visit" their GP. People won't risk having to catch infectious diseases from other waiting sick people, or sacrifice valuable rest to travel just because their sadistic boss insists on a sick certificate!

These benefits don't even begin to scratch the surface of benefits in healthcare of the elderly - just the ambulance bills in ferrying them around are incredible.

John