Part of this debate is centred around the idea that others can and should be able to decide what people can afford. Whilst at the extremes it may be easy to make that call in reality the cut off's are often around circumstances that are not so clear cut and rarely consider enough of a persons circumstances to be a genuine measure of need (or lack thereof).

When government manages those systems they are rarely able to show discretion for fear of being seen to discriminate (or of actual discrimination) so a formula is devised that works off taxable income (and maybe the number of dependants) or some other simple measures that tell nothing of a persons commitments nor anything of how hard they have worked for that income.

If your income is low then money is taken from those with higher income and used to support those on lower taxable income with no regard to the choices that created the difference.

In practical terms we may need to do something like that but we kid ourselves if we think it's just or fair or never hurting the needy at the expense of the less needy.

R0bert

Private health has to do with priorities also. It's a matter of what you value the most, and that doesn't discriminate between the havs and the have not so muchers.
A mc mansion can cost a fortune in repayments, is pte ins; thought of at that time.
There are that many who want nose jobs or other cosmetic arrangements that should not be entered into public health.
Private health is a necessary evil, or else the public system would sink.
We now have a 24 hour super clinic in town, where as the triage nurse at the public hospital evaluates if you need emergency treatment or you are told to go to the 24 hour clinic. [ across the road.]
Emergency is supposed to mean life threatening.
Anything other is directed to the clinic. Payment applies.
That was put in place by John Brumby, a most underutilized politician.

I use both. Some things benefit with private, and some things don't.

Medicare was a financial disaster 4 me from the begginning.
I was working single parent, 2 sons with birth defects, Private health $6 per month, own surgeon, no gap pay 4 Drs or hospital, hospital of choice.
After 2 years private Insurance $35 as nearly everyone opted out for FREE Medical care and Private were going broke on low fees. I NEEDED to choose my specialists for my kids.
I paid both medicare + private fees for several years until Rules were changed.
If Id chosen to be on single mums pension +++ and been a drag on taxpayers and played bingo 3 days a week, I would have been financially better off.
WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR MY KIDS !

Yes well, here's the catch.

While many have dropped out of private health one has to ask, who can blame them.

You see, we pay private health, about $800 per quarter, always have, but guess what, we also pay our Medicare levy, plus, we have to pay to see the doctor.

So, if the Medicare levy was dropped, for those who have private health, many more would remain in private health, as the current system is a double whammy.

Nannabev,

Your story stands out as an illustration of just how much worse off we've been since the introduction of Medicare - introduced by Labour. When Libs regained power they revoked it. Well, that was short-lived. People liked the idea of free medical care. Libs lost the next election, and Labour immediately re-instated Medicare - to the delight of those who could well afford to stay in a private fund.

Suse,
I had completely overlooked emergency departments being used by people who don't want to pay for a visit to their G.P. Highlights just one more abuse of the present system.

Hasbeen,
Yes it is a catrostophe, especially how the price for a service is hiked up if you're in a private fund.
Here's an example. My fund covers ancillary benefits. One of these is it gave me cover for a blood pressure monitor. My fund paid over $200 for a unit which could have been bought over the counter at the same pharmacy for $80. I only realised this when I received notification from my fund showing the amount they had paid.

I have still chosen to have top private cover, although I realise that I'm being slugged for doing so. Call it what you will, but it gives me a measure of pride to contribute as much as possible toward my health costs, and not rely completely on government to carry me from cradle to grave. Their control over our lives is already too powerful.