A senior Liberal frontbencher says there will be significant changes to the government's unpopular GP co-payment.

The Abbott government has given the strongest indication yet that it is scrapping its Medicare co-payment plan, with one senior frontbencher admitting there is no public support for the policy.

The coalition is expected to announce it has scrapped the $5 doctor consultation charge after a party room meeting on Tuesday, with media reports cabinet has already decided to kill off the payment.

Speaking on the ABC's Q&A program on Monday, Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg again flagged there would be "significant" change to the government's health policy.

Asked what had convinced the government to drop the co-payment, he said: "There wasn't the public support for it, particularly in the Senate".

Health Minister Sussan Ley has been consulting with medical groups about the co-payment, and took her findings to cabinet on Monday night.

But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann wouldn't confirm the policy had been scrapped.

"Those findings were considered by the government and will be considered by the party room this morning and no doubt there will be announcements after that," he told ABC radio.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the government wouldn't press ahead with the co-payment unless it had the support of those in the medical profession.

Groups like the Australian Medical Association have opposed the measure since it was introduced in the budget last year.

And even though the government in December reduced the fee from $7 to $5, and exempted children and concession card holders, the doctors group is still refusing to back the measure.

AMA President Brian Owler said the continued opposition of doctors meant the co-payment was "essentially dead".

However, the group had discussed alternative savings with Ms Ley, including paying the Medicare rebate to doctors and not patients to reduce red tape.

"We need to get the debate about the co-payment off the table ... so we get back to talking about health policies that are going to make our healthcare system stronger," Professor Owler told ABC radio.

Labor questioned the timing of the co-payment's dumping.

"Whatever changes Tony Abbott announces, it's pretty clear that he's been forced into the position because of the pressure on his leadership," opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King told ABC radio.