Another piece from the Centre for Independent Studies which is described by sourcewatch http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Centre_for_Independent_Studies as and socially conservative think tank based in Sydney
Organisations with links to it
- BHP Billiton
- Shell
- ICI - now a subsidiary of Orica
- Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation [8]

Some of the individuals who fund the CIS include [9]:
- Dame Elisabeth Murdoch - Mother of media mogul Rupert Murdoch
- Neville Kennard
- Robert Champion de Crespigny

Many right wing Liberals believe that we should have a user pays health care system and if you get cancer then you get only the health treatment your family can afford.

Thie author is using the increase in obesity rates in the population to ration health funding to “the deserving poor”.

Obesity is more prevalent amongst poorer people who have less money to spend on food and limited access to gyms and recreation facilities. Reminder posters today a loaf of white bread is $1 a kilo of potatoes is $3, apples are $5 a kilo.

I believe that a universal health care system leads to better health for Australians than a user pays system that the CIS would like where hospitals, multiple insurance companies and operators all seek to make profit from our health care.

A new expression has entered our vocabulary - “sit down money”. I like it!

Making a responsible choice? No such thing for a lot of people. Only no choice works. Close down all junk food outlets and cake shops. We need prohibition. Then the only way you can get an apple tart is to find the dark back alley which has the patisserie speakeasy. Then you knock on the door and ask for Joe.

The better question would be 'should the taxpayer pick up the tab for personal stupidity? And why focus on this small percentage of health care users?

So Billie, do you think we should have unlimited universal heath care? Are you willing to have your taxes jacked up to pay for it?

The author is not suggesting what you think - this is not about "the deserving poor", but rather about each and everyone of us bearing the health consequences of our own decisions. It is a notion which is equally relevant to those who earn lots as it is to those who earn less.

Hmmm.... Correct me if I am wrong but Medicare was established to provide universal access to "Healthcare". Health care is broader than just infectious diseases and accidents. To define healthcare in such limited terms is erroneous.

There are sound reasons why Governments should be in the business of developing policy that mitigates risk; so long as the benefits of early intervention and preventative healthcare outweigh the costs. I for one, am happy for my taxes to fund a program to refer the obese to weight management programs if it reduces the tax burden I would have to bear to support health treatment for probable related illnesses they would suffer in the longer term.

Libertarians and civil rights advocates alike should be wary of programs that mandate behaviour change. Good policy in this area should be about not only making people aware of the health impacts of obesity but also making it easier for people to take action to mitigate those risks. It should not be limited to ONLY raising awareness if there are other cost effective ways of reducing the burden to all.

BN, do I want to pay higher taxes to support a universal health care system? YES, and I bet I paid more tax than you did last year. The agenda of supporters of CIS is to introduce a user pays health care system and sell off Medibank Private. I have my health insurance with Medibank Private and do not want my money going to whichever foreign insurance company buys Medibank Private.

A CIS supporter suggested that a [specific] cancer patient should only have access to treatment that they could pay for. The person seemed oblivious to the fear and pain the patient could be suffering. So if we do want to adopt a user pays health care system then we should introduce euthanasia for those patients who can’t afford treatment to improve their quality of life from exist in pain, fear and social ostracision if they have facial deformities like cleft palates.

In a population of 22 million people there is no reason why one health insurance organisation can’t work more efficiently than the current 100 odd. If you assume that public service organizations are inefficient you are insulting hard working, honest, intelligent public servants including members of the armed forces like Aqvarivs.