Peter Dutton, Opposition health spokesman has accused the Federal Government of politicising Australian health.
The Government has been seeking advice on how changes to Medicare could be used as a trigger for double dissolution.
The government is pushing for the 30 per cent Medicare rebate to be means tested for singles on income cover over $75,000 and for couples earning more than $150,000 per year.
The proposal was shot down this week by the senate, leaving a $1.9 billion hole in the budget.
Senate clerk Harry Evens responded to a government request for advice, saying that reintroducing the Bill after December 10 would satisfy the conditions to trigger a double dissolution election trigger.
If the bill is rejected, both houses of Parliament could be dissolved and an election held.
The Government promised in the lead up to the last election that changes would not be made to private health insurance rebates.
But Health Minister Nicola Roxon said she’d be comfortable with an early poll.
However, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd maintains that he doesn’t want an early election.
Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton said that Rudd was turning health into a political game which should be condemned.
He has accused the government of taking the focus off voters and its pledge to fix the nation’s hospitals by June this year.