19-May-2008
Goldstein Media Releases, Health
Labor’s ill-advised, ideologically driven changes to the Medicare Levy Surcharge will force a substantial rise in private health insurance premiums for Bayside residents.
Federal Member for Goldstein, Andrew Robb, fears estimates from the Australian Medical Association that up to a million Australians will dump their private health insurance, will see queues at emergency waiting rooms in public hospitals increase, and the cost of insurance premiums climb.
Under the Coalition, more Australians than ever before held private health insurance.
“Over 9.4 million Australians had private health insurance under the Coalition, this number will be slashed by Labor. This will force up the price of premiums for those left holding health insurance,” said Mr Robb.
In 2005 Goldstein was ranked 6 out of the 150 Federal Electorates when it came to private health coverage. Labor’s changes will affect Bayside residents harder than most.
“Labor is taking a baseball bat to private health insurance. This will put more pressure on the already crumbling Victorian public hospital system and is bad news for the cost of Bayside residents’ health insurance.”
Under the changes the Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds will increase from;
• $50,000 to $100,000 for singles, and
• $100,000 to $150,000 for families.
“It is not just the sheer numbers of people leaving private health insurance which counts but exactly who the people are that will dump their private health insurance,” said Mr Robb.
It is reasonable to believe that those who benefit least from health insurance will be the first to leave the system. They would be those with good health – the young and the fit.
“This will have a long term effect on the viability of many private health funds and see families and seniors carrying the burden,” Mr Robb said.
“Labor’s plan is based on the politics of envy and will herd more people into an already dysfunctional and chronically mismanaged state healthcare system.”
Media contact: Andrew Hudgson (03) 9557 4644 or 0404 020 896