Health Rebate "poor policy"

[Jovial Monk]

THE private health insurance rebate paid to millions of Australians is "very poor policy" and should be dumped, according to a confidential briefing to Treasurer Wayne Swan.

Documents obtained by The Age reveal that Treasury, in one of its first briefings to the Rudd Government after its 2007 election win, urged Mr Swan to seriously consider scrapping the rebate. The briefing said the billions of dollars lost annually to the rebate would be better spent on public hospitals.

The Age has also learned that Health Minister Nicola Roxon has been advised on options for scrapping the rebate, with discussion papers going to cabinet at least twice last year.

But the Government, which went to the 2007 election promising to keep the 30 per cent rebate, said yesterday it would not change its policy.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/scrap ... -8fve.html

Rudd had promised to keep it and keep it he will, until the next election when hopefully he will announce scrapping this bad policy introduced by the Rodent after that election. Scrapping the stupid rebate will free up money to repay loans or spend on keeping jobs!

Heh, had argued this with Sheepy, who was terrified he would have to pay the real cost of his private health insurance.

Lots more policy shit left by the incompetent and irresponsible Howard govt: I have posted b4 how the shift to company taxes (through the stupid middle class welfare) means it will take longer to get the budget back into balance once the economy recovers as bracket creep has lost its sting.

[Rainbow Moonlight]

I have always had an instinctive dislike of the health insurance rebate policy. Seems silly to me to prop up companies that cannot give the customer what they want in sufficient degree to get sufficient customers without the rebate. BUT I have never calculated the benefits and costs to public health in detail or infact seen any such figures.

Only health insurance I have ever seen that I liked was one where the insurer supported the full cost of items- they did that through prearrangement with certain hospitals, which is where those insured needed to go to be fully covered. That showed initiative and was possibly insurance worth having.

[Jovial Monk]

Exactly, RM, so many have insurance because they have to or pay extra tax but most will not use the hospital cover because the extras will kill them financially. So they use the underfunded public hospital. Stupid policy, typical of the bloody Rodent!

Offer gap cover and abolish the rebate, let the funds charge what they want!

[Postul8]

Only health insurance I have ever seen that I liked was one where the insurer supported the full cost of items- they did that through prearrangement with certain hospitals, which is where those insured needed to go to be fully covered. That showed initiative and was possibly insurance worth having.

Completely agree. Such cover existed during the Hawke-Keating era when the universality of Medicare existed, but Howard effectively offered private health insurers a licence to re-write the gap rules, raise premiums AND help themselves to the public purse via the rebate. Combine that with the cancellation of provider numbers and we're left today with a health insurance system too expensive for most Australians to be a part of, and a Medicare system that costs 90% of Australians twice.

[boxy]

Fucking private insurance coverage. Wherever possible, the government should provide cover where everyone requires it. Everyone needs medical coverage, and the same for compulsory third party motor vehicle insurance, let the government provide the coverage, they don't need a whooping huge profit motive!

Hell, perhaps they should mandate house insurance coverage also, given the number of uninsured houses that burn down (now that global warming is all our fault ).

[Jovial Monk]

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Go boxy!