Means testing

[mantra]

The government is proposing to put through legislation to means test the health care rebate. The protests and warnings are coming hard and fast - regional and country private hospitals will close down, specialists will leave these areas and those in the city will be disadvantaged because they need an income of $180,000 at least to live there comfortably and their budget will suffer.

Can our government afford to continue supporting two tiers of services? They want to make our services universal and this isn't being well received by those who will see an increase in their private health insuance premiums.

The industrious and wealthy should see something for their tax dollars, but PAYE taxpayers provide 85% of government revenue. I blame the Howard government for trying to split this 85/15% into equality for a 60/40% population. Trying to correct this imbalance now is going to be almost impossible.

Private hospitals are essential of course, but the extra money needed to keep them buoyant for those who can pay has detracted from the public hospital system which means those who can't pay, either go without essential surgery or are put on a waiting list for possibly years. The specialists naturally gravitate towards the private system which means their availability in the public system has waned considerably.

REGIONAL private hospitals may close within five years if health insurance changes pass through parliament, causing more stress for families trying to pay their mortgage.

As nurses prepare to march on independent MP Rob Oakeshott's electorate office today, voters such as Bruce Smith are expressing anger at proposed changes to the private health insurance rebate.

"I wouldn't classify myself as wealthy by any means," said Mr Smith, 43, who lives with his wife and two children in Mr Oakeshott's electorate on the mid-north coast. "We just keep on getting taxed."

The electrician is one of 2.4 million Australians facing higher premiums if the plans to means-test the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate get through parliament.

Mr Oakeshott and fellow NSW independent MP Tony Windsor have been warned of an exodus of private medical specialists from regional cities if the rebate is means-tested.

Nurses from local private hospitals will march on Mr Oakeshott's electorate office - but their protests may be too late. The government is confident Mr Oakeshott will support the reforms along with other crossbench MPs - a move that would help fill a multi-billion-dollar budget black hole.

The health changes, which have been rejected twice, are worrying some Labor MPs, who say families will struggle to pay higher premiums.

"Thinking that $160,000 is a lot of money is not true," said one Labor MP.

If legislation passes through parliament the means test will kick in from July 1, meaning singles earning above $83,000 and families earning more than $166,000 will have to pay more for their health cover.

The new hit to families comes after other moves by the government to rein in middle-class welfare, including freezing indexation of family welfare benefits and cutting the baby bonus.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard evoked the idea of a fair go as she claimed the changes were about "fairness".

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the health changes showed only that "Julia Gillard doesn't understand Sydney and the cost of living pressures people face".

Senior private health executives are warning the government that the changes will force many people to give up their insurance, leading to a reduction in medical specialists in regional centres.

"If you lose the PHI rebate, you will probably lose the private hospital," Annette Arthur, chief executive of the Tamara Private Hospital in Tamworth, said. "Tamworth is very much at risk."

[Jovial Monk]

I know there have been complaints each time they have reduced the middleclass welfare that is the PHI. The first time there were 10m privately insured people now there are 12m. Basically the PHI was a gift of tax payers money by Howard to those on higher incomes.

Why should someone on $40K a year subsidise the elective surgery of someone on $240K a year? Costello’s unsustainable tax cuts means the govt has to really crack down on waste and midleclass welfare and Swan has been doing just that. $22Bn went in the last Budget, this means testing the rebate will reduce it by $3Bn or so over 3 years. Good.

[Bart]

aaahhh the GALP, don't you just love the way they are destroying the Australian economy.

But as long as Bobby's haemorrhoids don't upset Australia's First Bozo when he is releasing a gerbil or two then Gillrad is happy.
Aa afterall, isn't that all what the dictator is concerned about.

[mantra]

Brown has had to compromise. He's probably only got another year or two in politics and he's trying to get as much legislation for the Greens passed as possible. The Greens mightn't be so lucky with the next government. Perhaps it's opportunism, but then what political party doesn't do the same?

[Jovial Monk]

Yes, the Greens have had to compromise—they wanted to remove the rebate altogether in one fell swoop and so have held up this measure for 3 years, god they are morons and cheap, cynical manipulators!

[Jovial Monk]

aaahhh the GALP, don't you just love the way they are destroying the Australian economy.

But as long as Bobby's haemorrhoids don't upset Australia's First Bozo when he is releasing a gerbil or two then Gillrad is happy.
Aa afterall, isn't that all what the dictator is concerned about.

I thought Bart was a Mellie sock? The above looks more like Bart is an IQ sock.

[Jovial Monk]

Yeah, I heard most of the debate but not the actual final vote.
Health rebate passes Lower House

The Federal Government's bill to introduce a means test for the private health insurance rebate has successfully passed through the House of Representatives.

Labor secured the crucial votes of the Greens, as well as independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie, to pass the bill.

The Opposition did not support the legislation, saying the means test will drive people out of the private health system.

The means test, and the accompanying changes to the Medicare levy surcharge, are expected to save the Government $2.4 billion over three years.

. . . .

The bill also increases the Medicare Levy surcharge for high income earners without private cover.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-15/h ... ng/3831424

Now the House is discussing dismantling the Star Chamber aka AABC. About time!

What a do–nothing govt! Hah!

The surplus for 2012/13 just got made bigger.

When Labor first reduced the amount of money going to the rebate there was a hue and cry—by Lib fanbois. There were 10m Australians with private health insurance. The hue and cry was raised again the next reduction and again for this one.

There are now 12m privately insured people. 2m more Australians have private health insurance than did in 2008.

By cutting out Howard waste and middleclass welfare at some time a national dental scheme could be introduced. For what private hospitals do—let some jump the queue for elective surgery—they are still getting way too much taxpayers money.

Why should someone on $25K a year, who can’t afford private health insurance subsidise someone on $250K a year?

[mantra]

The Gonski Report. With Gonski's background - you would assume him to be a conservative - but his report leans towards socialism and seems to be opening a can of worms in regard to education in Australia.

He wants parents who send their children to elite private school to be means tested and that sounds fair enough because many of these parents are multi-millionaires. Should a poor child's education be compromised because his parents don't have money?

Some private schools for the disabled could be fully funded and the poorer & more disadvantaged schools will receive a 10% loading on their current funding.

Gillard has been non-committal on these recommendations - she's going to have to wade into a dangerous area shortly. You don't get wealthy by spending your own money and she's going to meet a lot of opposition from the far right.

PARENTS of private school students could be means-tested to determine their capacity to pay fees in plans for the biggest education reforms in a generation.

The Gonski review of school funding, which will now be the subject of haggling between the federal and state governments, recommends parents of private school students be measured on their wealth to set what they pay.

The report states that private school funding "should be based on the anticipated capacity of the parents enrolling their children in the school to contribute financially towards the school's resource requirements".

The controversial finding was among 41 key recommendations in businessman David Gonski's 286-page report, which Prime Minister Julia Gillard is banking on to bolster her policy credentials.

Mr Gonski moved to allay private school parents' fears, recommending a minimum contribution by the government to fulfil Ms Gillard's pledge that no school "would lose a dollar".

But with Australian schools sliding against international counterparts the review has found the slide would continue without a $5 billion-a-year cash injection.

However, Ms Gillard yesterday refused to commit the federal government to its $1.5 billion portion with the states considered unlikely to stump up all of the rest.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/s ... 6276386419

[Mattus]

For what private hospitals do—let some jump the queue for elective surgery—they are still getting way too much taxpayers money.

Private hospitals don't let some jump the queue, they open another checkout. More checkouts open is good. It means shorter queues for everyone.

Why should someone on $25K a year, who can’t afford private health insurance subsidise someone on $250K a year?

What a ridiculous statement. Someone on $25/year taxable income would pay $375 a year for medicare and receive free hospital cover. It is, by any standard, a seriously fucking good deal and you can't, in all seriousness, suggest that the low income earners are propping up the high income earners in this system. That's absurd.

Look, you either want compulsory single payer public health insurance or you don't.

[Mattus]

But with Australian schools sliding against international counterparts the review has found the slide would continue without a $5 billion-a-year cash injection.

After both the Bradley report and the Base Funding Review in the tertiary sector, Chris Evans has made is abundantly clear that no additional funding is ever likely to result from an inquiry into education funding levels. (Ref: Hansard, Senate Economics Legislation Committee, Estimates, 15 Feb 2012, pp. 71-72). No doubt that spineless poser Peter Garrett will parrot back the same party line.