[quote author=samthecat link=1407655972/14#14 date=1407703902]Pensioners face $130 medical hit

    The Australian
    August 11, 2014



PENSIONERS could be hit with an out-of-pocket rise in their healthcare costs of more than $130 under the government’s budget measures — the impact of the $7 GP co-payment and the increase in the cost of medicines.      

Labor has seized on modelling released under Freedom of Information laws by Treasury, which details how pensioners and families will be affected by the budget changes. Co-payments under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme would increase for general ­patients by $5 in 2015, and for concessional patients by $0.80.

The modelling refers to age pensioner “Joyce”, who purchases 80 medicines a year listed with the PBS. She pays $6.10 for 60 PBS medicines before reaching the safety net under current arrangements, then receives the last 20 medicines for free.

But if the government’s increase to the PBS is legislated, she would pay $6.90 for 62 PBS medicines before reaching the safety net, receiving the last 18 for free.

“Joyce will pay $61.80 more in 2015 for her medicines,” the document states.

When the $7 GP co-payment is added — capped at 10 visits a year — Joyce would pay a total of $131.80 for her healthcare costs.

The analysis — which has been publicly available since the budget but released again last week after an FOI request — also reveals that “Joyce” would pay $114 more than she currently does for medicines by 2018.

Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said the modelling was “proof” Joe Hockey had deceived voters.

“This exposes Joe Hockey’s deceit on how his budget would hurt pensioners. He knew, but hid this from pensioners,” Ms King said. “For pensioners, every dollar counts. This is a very big hit to their standard of living.”      

Senate crossbenchers John Madigan and Nick Xenophon said the double hit to pensioners was unfair and did not accurately reflect the long-term costs.

“Not only do I think it’s unfair but I think it’s understated,” Senator Xenophon said. “The real cost on the system will be more people getting sicker because the co-­payments will dissuade them from going to the doctor. I’m calling for fresh modelling to look at the true costs of this.”      

Senator Madigan continued the assault on the budget, revealing that the Treasurer had told him he was “one of the most disliked” Australians.

“(Joe Hockey) said that he’s one of the most disliked, hated people in the country with the budget he’s got to bring down,” he said on ABC’s Insiders.

“I’ve got empathy for him (but) I wonder how much empathy he’s got for those people who are going to be hit hard by this budget.”      

His comments came as former treasurer Peter Costello urged the government to scrap the GP co-payment.

“The $7 co-payment is not going to go through. It’s just not going to happen. So let’s move on. I think they have to reboot the whole argument,” he told the Ten Network.

A Treasury spokesman said the 2014 budget would take steps to put health spending growth “on a sustainable path”.

“In terms of the impact of the increased PBS contribution and the Medicare co-payment, we were completely upfront in the budget documents,” the spokesman said. “While continuing to support the most vulnerable in the community, government spending must be targeted to those most in need.”[/quote]


What sort of bullshit is that!

Budget Fail = Re-do.  Accept that it has failed and move on.  Come back when you have a genuine offer to put on the table.

Swagman wrote on Aug 11^th, 2014 at 12:13pm:


What budget emergency?

the problem with the co payment is that you would always have to exempt the poor, the elderly and those on drugs and with mental health issues.
and the above groups probably make up 80 % of GP visits.

so just dumb policy by a guy whose finger isnt on the pulse.  just ring me Joe, i'll see you true.

Hockey is the worlds worst salesman, no doubt about that. this is what happens when a conservative government  doesnt have business people in parliament. any businessman with a knowledge of customer satisfaction would have looked at medicare which has enormous customer approval and said "there is no way i'm going there"

the way to tackle excessive costs in the health budget is simple. remove the medicare rebates for a lot of the new technologies and super expensive new drugs.
you dont really need a $1000 MRI every time you sprain your ankle. i think buddy franklins had 3 this year.  do a $20 xray.

and you dont need a $80,000 course of chemo for breast cancer if its going to prolong your life from 6 months to 7 months. just man up (or woman up in this case) and say that $80,000 would be better put towards my kids HECS bill

Swagman wrote on Aug 11^th, 2014 at 1:20pm:

Newstart has been basically frozen for years, people on it are waaaaaay behind the eight-ball.

Swagman wrote on Aug 11^th, 2014 at 1:28pm:

You know you are a complete idiot on this.
Take me for an example and when I was unemployed and went to centrelink...
Most people there were my age or older.
They had all worked all their lives.
Therefore they had paid taxes all their lives you idiot.
My share alone would suffice to see me on Newstart, (the piddling sum that it is), for well over 80 years before we get anywhere near breaking even.
I suggest YOU wake up to yourself on this.