GPs ramp up campaign against govt freeze

Every time Australians get a prescription from their doctor they'll be warned about a federal government plan to slug them more for health services.

The Australian Medical Association has given GPs a template that tells their patients "the government has cut Medicare and wants you to pay for it".

It urges patients to tell their local MPs and election candidates they are not happy and is part of a wider campaign against a freeze on Medicare rebates until 2020.

The government has frozen indexation on rebates it pays for services like GP visits.

The freeze, introduced by Labor in 2013, was extended for a further two years to 2020 in the May 3 budget.

Doctors have launched a fierce campaign against the freeze, insisting they won't be able to absorb rising costs over seven years.

They're warning they will be forced to charge patients co-payments of between $20 and $30 for GP visits.

Pressure is mounting on the government after Labor announced it would lift the freeze from January 1, painting itself as the defender of Medicare with the $12 billion injection.

Health Minister Sussan Ley has said the government remains committed to a possible review of the freeze as further efficiencies are found.

It comes after she was forced to call a truce with pathologists over their threats to start charging co-payments for tests after the government proposed cutting bulk-billing incentive payments.

There will now be a three-month delay on the implementation of the changes for pathology until the government can pass legislation to make rent cheaper for collection centres.

Health department modelling obtained under Freedom of Information laws last year suggested benefits for standard GP consultations would be $2.10 less by 2017/18 under the freeze.

Meanwhile, Medicare figures released last week show bulk-billing rates are the highest they have ever been despite the freeze.