Huge Numbers Opt for Health Insurance Despite Cost

Concern over huge waiting lists at public hospitals has led to more numbers opting for health insurance despite escalating health insurance costs. Health insurance numbers have gone up by 200,000

This also shows that people are willing to cough up about $2500 on annual health insurance premiums for family cover, ironically signifying the extent of reliability placed in the public hospital system.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon has questioned the idea of giving affluent people a 30 per cent rebate.

''This legislation is about making Government support for private health insurance fair and sustainable into the future,'' she said. ''It is fiscally irresponsible of the Opposition to block this legislation.''

''The Government stands for a quality health system for all Australians. Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals only want a health system for some, where working families subsidise health-care costs for millionaires.''

The Opposition's health spokesman, Peter Dutton, said ''In seeking to cut the rebate to so-called higher-income earners, the Rudd Government will hammer low and middle-income earners with higher prices,'' Does it want them to also opt out of private insurance and join the queue at our public hospitals? Every decision Kevin Rudd has taken since coming to government will make our public health system worse, making a mockery of his oft-repeated promise that he had a plan to 'fix' the nation's public hospitals.''

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Source-Medindia
SAV