i understand..the libs are rolling back..
the private medic-insurance SUBSIDY..labor..rolled up

joe hockey just said..its mainly FOR*..the poor
[@..press-club]..if this is true..that explains the SCAM*

see if your sick..y
ou just show your medicare card
and its all free

but..if you claim..private
you..*must pay a percentage..of what often becomes..a huge bill..[on top of being sick]..plus maybe even HIGHER premium

[ie IF..you took joes..cash/splash]
which..crean says will soon cost 70%..medicare cost?

BUT..if you pay..PRIVATE*..[ie the joe/lib/poor..only..lol]
or the rich..only getting it in..name only..
to avoid punitive extra govt punitive costs

i feel..its a scam
what am i missing..?

[their missing..informed consent]
or signing up for..just to get some free shoes?

or some other perceived advantage?

please explain?

Don't know One under GOd.

I get the 30% discount or whatever it is, if they take it away, I will think seriously about not bothering to pay for private insurance. But then they will tax me extra I think, so I will pay anyway.

It's a private health insurance that's compulsory if you earn too much.

Ideologically, I am against the government funded business sectors of superannuation, and private health. Why should there be a whole sector of the economy that has guaranteed business from us, though compulsory super, and blackmailed into private health. Actually you can add in banks that get my salary before I do.

Government should not be forcing people to put their money into an industry. I should be able to invest (or not) my money as I see fit.

If private health insurance is good value, I will use it. But it isn't, so the government blackmails me to use the services of corrupt medical insurance companies in bed with the pharma companies and the AMA.

If I am to be insured, I expect a small excess per claim, and the insurance to cover my unforeseen medical expenses. But that's not how it works at all. I pay insurance, then I get back the supposed 'scheduled fee', and the doctor charges about 40% more than that.

Why doesn't the government pay my 30% to the doctor and cut out the insurance company.

Better still, remove the medicare levy, remove the 30% rebate, remove the extra medicare levy for rich people without insurance, stop funding private hospitals, and let the really rich pay 100% of their hospital costs if they want to jump the queue in the private system, and fund the public system using whatever tax take is needed. Why do we need a Levy, it's a totally unnecessary bucket.

What a wonderful System

Government forces people to take out insurance to use private hospitals with the threat of a 1% extra medicare levy.

Insurance company charges premium

Government compensates my by 30%

Doctor charges for services

Insurance pays for whatever made up figure they think it should cost.

Patient picks up the rest of the tab, pays excess to the insurance company

Government gives a rebate to the patient if patient ends up paying over $2000 in a year for health.

Can you get any more convoluted?

im upset..that good but poor people..
get tricked..into thinking..they are doing the right thing
when its stacked against them..from go to woe.

and it might have been fair..long time ago
..pre compulsory medibank..for all/everyone

[heck..i had it my parents had it..
and BACK THEN..it worked]

but..the many schemes..now are selling
a commission based product..THAT MUST MAKE capitalist/investor returns..is not a service..as much as a cash cow

i also recall things like racv..racq..etc..motoring SERVICES
friendly societies..

my..in-laws even pre bought/paid off..
the 10 shilling funeral..for all their kids

only recently cashed out for a few dollars

but thats nothing compared to PHONE CHARGES*
or the steady increase in energy..as we all get enron style pricing

its not til you get burned..[or your kids do]..
that this PRIVATIZED medicine scam gets revealed..and sadly many refuse to know...even now..so it goes on..

THE BIG THING IS..many private insured..ARE LYING
cause they dont want the bill..SO THOSE IN-THE KNOW..dont tick private..thus avoid paying..

but thats a tricky point..in law..
failing to declare..to gain gain..it may nullify..future coverage

why should they..good honest people..feel need to lie?
because they know..the scam..but is that fair..

to those not informed?

When I was a young bloke, the only free hospitals were in Queensland, paid for by the casket, [lottery].

In NSW in the early/mid 60s I paid two shillings for doctor cover, & two shillings & sixpence for hospital. This covered my wife & me for all medical costs. This made a hell of a lot more sense than overpaying some bureaucrat to take my money out of my pay, & another to pay my doctor or my hospital bill.

I wouldn't be without private health, and I realize I am lucky to be able to afford it.
The main reason I take out this insurance is because I don't want to wait 12 months or more if I want a hip replacement or whatever, and I am in pain!

I am aware it isn't fair that some people who either don't want to pay for it, or can't afford private health premiums, do have to wait long periods of time for medical appointments and operations.

However, until they come up with a better system, I will pay both the Medicare and the private insurance premiums.