Doctors will get more out of Medicare eventually, but that's not likely for at least four years under a coalition government.
The Turnbull government has extended a freeze on Medicare rebates until at least 2020, a move Health Minister Sussan Ley would have preferred not to happen.
Doctors say it amounts to a patient co-payment by stealth if they are forced to stop bulk-billing because of rising practice costs.
"I have said to doctors that I want that freeze lifted as soon as possible but I appreciate that Finance and Treasury aren't allowing me to do it just yet," Ms Ley told ABC radio on Monday.
Treasurer Scott Morrison ducked questions on whether the decision was taken at his direction, telling reporters in Sydney it was a government decision.
He was involved as chairman of cabinet's budget committee.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it was just common sense the freeze would end "at some point".
"It will end when we judge it is affordable within the context of the health budget," he told reporters on the NSW far south coast, where he was campaigning in the bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro.
Labor has promised to re-start indexing Medicare payments from January 2017 should it win government, at a cost of $12.2 billion over a decade.
It claims an extended freeze will force more doctors to stop bulk-billing.
The government says freezing indexation has cost doctors less than 60 cents for each consultation now, rising to $2.50 in 2020.
Labor leader Bill Shorten seized on Ms Ley's admission.
"When the minister for health in a Liberal government says their own policies are looking sick and that Labor policies are on the right track, it just shows Australians the fundamental choice at this election," he told reporters in the marginal Liberal-held seat of Hasluck in Western Australia.
Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said Ms Ley's position was clearly untenable after the minister conceded she had no control in cabinet over health policy.
