"There is no clear-cut line of demarcation. Some medical and surgical procedures of questionable merit are covered. Proof of efficacy is not essential for them to be included on a list of rebatable items from private health, but there is an assumption that what is paid for is generally accepted by mainstream medicine as fair trading. Homeopathy and naturopathy and related alternative approaches do not conform to this definition."

No, private health insurance does not cover many things, including all necessary medical treatment in all circumstances. eg in mine, sexual reassignment surgery. Nor does the public system, which means my citizenship rights are impaired compared to other persons, in that I cannot receive quality necessary medical treatment, according to standard peer-reviewed medical practice, at no cost to me.

That's the system I've paid taxes for too.

Approximately three billion dollars of public funds spent to prop up an industry that on the strength of membership numbers, the majority don't even want is an appalling waste of money. Private health insurance is no more affordable today than it was when the subsidy was first introduced since increased demand on a supply constrained system has forced prices up anyway. In line with most other handouts and subsidies, the price increase being in line with the value of the original subsidy. In the meantime three billion dollars would provide a couple of thousand extra acute care beds to the public system where they are urgently needed. Of course it will never happen while our illustrious politicians buy votes with handouts and pander to the most powerful union in the country, namely the AMA.

Where did Costello say he got that 25 billion dollar surplus from ?

It seems as though Stephen Leeder is not being entirely honest! The 30% Health Insurance rebate is simply equivalent to making Health Insurance tax deductible at the 30% tax rate. The ‘subsidy” is usually the taxpayers own tax payments being returned to him.

It is very difficult to talk about public and private . The government charges a levy if you don’t have private health insurance and then taxes you again for public health. In reality both systems are public because even if you opt out, you still have to pay.

I thought the “Inner-Sydney based transsexual” made an excellent point. You collect the insurance and tax dollars and then refuse to pay out. I don’t know whether they should fund sex change operations, but where do you draw the line. I know someone who had to pay $28,000 for a cancer treatment. Medicare and Health Insurance didn’t pay. He paid with his own savings. He is still alive, so it was a good investment!

In reality it is our money the government is spending. It should be our choice how we spend our own money whether it be homeopathy, sex changes or high-tech new cancer treatments.

I value Medicare and have never had to have private health insurance. I did once, when I was 22 and held it for two years. During the time I had medical treatment, I spent six months arguing with the insurance company to pay up (which they eventually did).

The current subsidy system is a commercially grown carrot: big, fat and shiny but when punctured, doesn't hold much water.

In the years since, I have no complaints about public health insurance. The care I've received via the Qld Health system has been excellent.