Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697633455137.pdf (Australia)
From: Clifford Noel Weder To: Committee, Health (SEN) Subject: Senate Inquiry ~ Health Budget For the inquiry I am a not-wealthy self funded retiree (of 20 yrs+) - no pension card, no health card; & on principle, plan to stay that way.

I attend a specialist at regular intervals to monitor an ailment.
The specialist is well aware of all my history, but once a year I have to go back to the GP (who has no practical input into my condition) at a gross cost of $60 ($23 cost to the public sys) to get a new referral.

The specialist then charges me $236 for a new first time consultation, of which the public system contribution is $36.

Also, for my driver's licence I need to get an optical test from time to time.

Again I pay $60 ($23 cost to Mcare) to the GP to get a referral.
If I agree to have a full eye examination I can get it free of charge but of course a charge does go into the public system.

Then I go back to the GP to sign off on my form for the licencing mob, again at $60, & another $23 against the public system.
I am annoyed about my expense in all this unnecessary stuff - but as a concerned citizen I am also annoyed that these cosy doctor systems are bleeding the health budget to death.......& to hear some of the health professionals trying to sound as if they passionate about health care economics ........to me is just so hypocritical.

Cliff Weder HealthSubmission 4