Harry Throssell in his description of poor old Tom's payments are just wrong. He is a pensioner and is therefore entitled to a pension card.

I am on a disability support pension due to my leukeamia, GP consultations free, CAT scans free, frequent blood tests (many unusual like Flourescent In Situ Hybridisation of Genetic deletions) free, Bone marrow trephines and biopsies free, Nuclear bone scans free, Heamatologist visits (At the Mater PRIVATE) $5.60 (After Medicare rebate) Chemotherapy (including monoclonal antibodies) $14.70 per round.

Bone marrow transplant and 12 months aftercare $0. (With the help of The Leukeamia Foundation)

Fentanyl and OxyContin pain killers $4.70 per script.

Compare this to a friend of mine in New York, 3 days in hospital with IV antibiotics for neutropenic pneumonia cost $68,000 insurance co-payment (Gap payment) $6,800 this is on top of the $580 per MONTH insurance payment.

Sure our health system is not free, but its better than almost anywhere else in the world.

Don't worry I am still a left wing loony :)

Nice words concerning true blue Aussies as usual while modestly omitting reality of employment-denied upon generations non-England-originated Australians who cannot afford $6000 and use “free” medical treatment – with all consequences following.

Leigh,
People don't expect to get health care for nothing, they expect a user pays system. User pays tax to be provided for a service. Sadly in health Messers Howard and Abbott cut nearly $1 billion of health funding to the States in 2004. What would you expect to be the result of that action? Goodness me.

Talking about the federal government and its boasting about sur-pluses, I am surprised no-one has been able to lay a glove on Howard and Costello about this, because a suplus means lost investment opportunity. Secondly, what justification could there be to overtax, thereby removing money that individuals could put to good use?

I should have thought the desirable position for a government would be running a bit in deficit especially where it was investing in infrastructure.

Historians will remember the Howard years as the years of lost opportunity for Australia.

I think Henry's approach highlighted the inefficiency of the current system more that the propblems associated with cost.

Tom fell victim to mixing and matching services to fit in with his time table and needs - the public system is simply not resourced well enough to move people through quickk enough and, in some cases out of danger.

There is money in the system - but it is poorly distributed with large chunks of it flowing to cumbersome bueraucracies - fee for service is also fleecing the bejesus out of the system - Australia probabyl better than any other jurisdiction in the world has maintained health expenditure at a reasonable % of GDP at the same time as maintaining standards.

Manpower not money is a greater problem facing the public system

As mullah will rule in 30-40 years this recent pro-Englad semi-colony , White Australia will be remembered as a next missed opportunity to civilise a world.