National may undo doctor's visit subsidy

National health spokesman Tony Ryall refuses to rule out reversing the cheaper doctors visits being introduced by the Government.

Mr Ryall yesterday launched an attack against "health care by post code" at the party's annual conference, a reference to the subsidised doctors visits being rolled out across the country.

The subsidies were first made available to Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) operating in poorer areas and to specific age groups such as the young and the elderly. In July, the subsidies were made available to all people in the 45-64 age group, and next July to the 25-45 age group.

In the lead-up to the last election, National said it would not introduce the further subsidies Labour had planned for the 25-64 age groups.

After the July 1 roll-out, Health Minister Pete Hodgson called on National to clarify its position, saying "700,000 45-64 year olds ... have a right to know if National supports raising their fees".

Mr Ryall said yesterday: "Over the next year or so we will be putting our policy together but we have a very important principle that the scarce dollars in health need to go where they have most benefit and we certainly don't want to have a system of health by post code where depending on where you live you are going to get cheaper doctors visits, or greater Government subsidies I should say."

Mr Ryall accepted that as a result of the roll-out all people would have the subsidies regardless of where they lived by next July. But he pointed to a speech Mr Hodgson gave on Friday which said the Government was now considering investing more money in PHOs which serviced poor communities.