Quote:


That would just hurt those who can afford it least, while leaving the well-off pretty much untouched.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 7:58am:



while medical cover is reducing


most of the 'basic memberships' are useless. .. good for getting you a new pair of shoes or gym membership,  but no good if you get sick. People only sign up to it to avoid the higher taxes. Why should taxpayers subsidise your gym fees or new shoes?

Yup. The companies put up policies that are cheap—cover for gangrene of your little toe say—but get you out of paying higher levy etc.

If it is a Howard measure you can be sure it is crap.

crocodile wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 7:50am:


Sometimes you come across as a theorist with zero practical experience. This is a classic example of that. Health Fees DROP????

Try again.

crocodile wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 9:33am:


...and unions

crocodile wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 7:43am:

Fair enough, but we need a more complete review of health policy.

* Double the Medicare levy.
* Abolish the private health insurance rebate.
* Abolish the Medicare surcharge for high income earners without private health insurance.
* Put the savings into Medicare.
* Extend Medicare to include basic dental.
* Remove the Health Minister's price control powers over private health insurance.

I am not totally against removal of private health insurance rebate, as long as they make corresponding decrease in medicare surcharge and penalties for not having private health insurance.    And also the following reasons: 

1) Many people on private health insurance, do not get rebate anyway. (e.g. those with incomes > 200k)
2) A study somewhere showed that most young people or lower income people who takes up private health insurance, do so to dodge the penalties.  And so, a review showed most of these people have covers so basic, that they are looking at a cost so high ( through high excess charge, and low co payments), such that most of them choice public hospital treatment any way.
3) Most severe emergency cases - goes to public hospital / major trauma centres where they are more better equipped.
4) Emergency department visits are NOT covered with private health insurance.  They can charge anywhere from $200 to $400 for a visit.  So, must people with private health insurance, in an emergency goes to public hospital ED, and be transferred later if their condition is not so serious.  Serious cases like heart attack, people wheel them into the catheter lab immediately anyway.
5) The only thing that helps  with private health insurance, is those with chronic illness / injury requirement elective surgery / or not so serious medical condition.   It is very difficult to quantify. 

My recommendation:
1) Remove private health insurance rebate, direct funding back into the public health system.
2) Increase medicare surcharge for those who choose not have private insurance, but keep the charges around 75% of they would if they take out a medium level private health cover.
3) Remove lifetime loading - to facilitate people moving back to private health insurance, and let markets do their job. 

That way, you create a sort of national health cover premium for those who can afford, but also an mechanism for them to move into private cover should they choose to.   And let the market force make the private sector more efficient and competitive (e.g. less abnormal premium increases).     The public sector would also get more money from those intended for rebate.