LABOR’S PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE REBATE CUTS WILL HURT WORKING FAMILIES IN MALLEE
Posted in Media on Tuesday, 14 February, 2012
The Nationals Federal Member for Mallee John Forrest said the decision by the Gillard Government to make private health insurance more expensive was a direct attack on his constituents and threatened public hospital overload in western Victoria.
“The legislation to means-test the private health insurance rebate is another broken promise by Julia Gillard and it will result in cost increases for households of up to 43 percent,” Mr Forrest said.
“Along with my Coalition colleagues, I will vote against Labor’s plan that will slug households and put more pressure on public hospitals already under strain.”
More that 68 percent of voters in Mallee Electorate have private health insurance (more than 84,300 men women and children are covered).
“There are 17,800 families and nearly 15,000 singles with hospital cover, and 17,200 singles and 20,800 families with general treatment insurance,” Mr Forrest said.
“These families work hard and make great financial sacrifice to have some responsibility for their healthcare costs to ensure they get treatment when they need it.
“Why can’t this government see that it is getting a good deal when people pay private health insurance. They are besotted with stealing from the rich to pay for the poor.
“The respected consulting firm Deloitte estimate that if this legislation is passed, 1.6 million Australians will drop private hospital cover over the next five years and another 4.3 million Australians will downgrade their level of coverage.
“As millions of people leave private health insurance, the cost of that insurance will rise even more for those who remain covered and there’ll be further pressure put on our stressed public hospital system.
“It doesn’t make sense, especially as the public waiting list is already on the rise.”
Mr Forrest said he was concerned the Gillard Government’s desire to penalise hard working families would make it worse for very low income earners because, as people were driven out of private health insurance, they would add to hospital waiting queues and make the poorer people wait even longer for their medical treatment.
“There’s a whole chain reaction. Regional private hospitals will have less business, the specialists that come out from major cities will stay home, public hospitals will not cope and many patients will have to travel further for treatment at greater end-cost to government.
“Worst of all, people at every level of society, the rich and the poor, will have to endure pain for longer, until their condition is critical and more physical damage is done,” Mr Forrest said.
Mr Forrest can be contacted on 0428 500 186.