Medicare on life support      

Thursday 20th February 2014

General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), Brett Holmes, today urged all Australians who value our principle of universal health care to join nurses and midwives in defending Medicare as we know it.

“Australians treasure their Medicare cards. They are an invaluable safety net which guarantees that they and their families will never suffer for want of medical care when they need it just because they don’t have money in their pocket or expensive health insurance.

“The Minister for Health, Mr Dutton, last night as good as declared his intention to get rid of Medicare as we have come to know and rely on it,” Mr Holmes said.

“Minister Dutton told the ABC’s 7.30 Report last night that Australians need to pay more for their health care and spoke favourably about bringing in ‘co- payments’ to see a doctor.      

“Make no mistake, the day Australians have to stump up cash to take their sick child to the GP, that is the day Medicare becomes terminal. The Minister made it very clear that a user-pays system is the Abbott Government’s solution to every challenge our society might face.

“The Minister also confirmed in a speech in Brisbane yesterday his Government’s preference for a greater role of the private sector and private insurers in primary care, as the government wanted to ‘grow the opportunity for those Australians who can afford to do so to contribute to their own health care costs’.

“We already have a two-tier system of health for those who can afford private health insurance, which, we should not forget, receives a taxpayer subsidy of approximately $5 billion a year, but clearly the Government sees greater opportunity for insurance companies and corporations to make more money out of illness.” Mr Holmes said.      

The NSWNMA supports the international movement for the introduction of a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) in Australia and internationally. It will call on visiting G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Sydney on Sunday, including Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey, to adopt such a tax across the developed world.

“A tiny levy on market-based financial trading, currency speculation, derivatives and share trading would provide ample funds to maintain the services like health and aged care that Australians expect. And it would be paid only by a handful of the wealthiest among us, many of whom are currently able to minimise or avoid paying tax,” Mr Holmes said.

“Already 11 Eurozone nations, including France and Germany, have moved to introduce the levy and been given approval to do so by the EU Finance Ministers meeting in Brussels last year.

Experts have estimated that an FTT of only 0.05% in Australia from 2005 would have raised approximately $48 billion in just the three following years.

“Even that tiny impost would fill any budget shortfalls without extreme measures like destroying Medicare. If it’s good enough for Germany, why not us?” Mr Holmes said.

“Medicare is precious to Australians because it is fundamental to our sense of living in a fair and decent society. It means no one need live in fear of needing medical help and being unable to afford it or choosing between the doctor and the groceries.

“We pay for it through the levy on our income and our general taxes. It treats every Australian the same, no matter where they live or how much wealth they have. If we need more money to keep our nation healthy, then we say institute the FTT, that way those who really can afford to contribute more to our society will do so.

“We can all see a doctor or go to hospital whenever we need to, even if we are broke.

“So called ‘co-payments’ are just the thin edge of a wedge that has been sharpened for years by extreme ideologues within the Coalition parties. If there’s a payment, it’s not Medicare – full stop.      

“These people have always wanted to destroy Medicare and allow a US-style private profit system to take over in its place. This is the opening salvo to achieve that end,” Mr Holmes said.      

“It’s up to Australians to make their voices heard before it’s too late and Medicare is dead and buried,” Mr Holmes said.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 20^th, 2014 at 4:13am:

You don't live in Australia. That makes your views irrelevant.

Australian citizens have no say in the running of their country eh?
Just if they happen to live abroad!?

matty wrote on Feb 20^th, 2014 at 3:07pm:


Who pays for your education, Matty?

You only spent 3 years in Australia, and you had private health insurance. I don’t make this stuff up - you tell us.

You live and vote in the UK. Why are you even bothering to discuss Australian health care?

Listen son, I paid the Medicare levy as part of my taxes.
As you well know.

In fact the first year I did my return I called up the ATO to ask why I was paying for Medicare in my summary because I had private health insurance.
They informed me that everyone pays the levy, I just avoid the surcharge by having insurance.
Hope you understand how it works now.

Given I am an Australian by birth it matters not a jot where I live - London, San Diego, Caracas... I have every right and it's my responsibility to be interested and concerned for my country. Yeah?

By the way UK Accounting is the same as Australian - It's IFRS.
Then again if you want USGAAP advice that's also a club I have in the bag.
Probably explains why companies value me so much eh?

Better luck next time son. Dust down them purchased viet medals and go out pretending to be a veteran.
It'll boost your confidence back up.

Pantheon wrote on Feb 21^st, 2014 at 2:12am:

Increase the Medicare levy to the level needed to fund health properly. Stop starving the public system of funds. Raise the funds that it needs.

Quote:

Not true. The private health insurance industry makes the system less sustainable, not more. They keep jacking up their fees at rates far in excess of inflation every year. With the 30% rebate, we all pay for that largesse whether we have private insurance or not. The cost of this rebate has blown out to 5 billion dollars a year while saving the general health budget only 2 billion dollars. Do you want sustainability in the health system? Make the private health insurance sector subject to the full force of the market rather than sheltering it so they become fat and bloated off the blood of taxpayers. Axe the rebate, and axe the Medicare surcharge for high-income earners. Net savings - about 3 billion dollars. It may not even be necessary to increase the Medicare levy if this is done.

Quote:

Teeth and gums are a part of the body. Add dental to Medicare.