I can't agree with you on Medicare policy o sung wu. It will be free medicine that will send any country that does it broke.

Medical technology is advancing so quickly, & every advance brings huge increases in the cost of treatment that no government is going to be able to supply multimillionaire type treatment for every citizen.

Normal treatment of old fashion illnesses we can handle, but we can't supply quarter to half million transplants to every old fart who might gain a couple of years benefit.

In other words I don't think oldies like you & I, who are of not much value to the community these days, just can't expect heart lung transplants on the public purse. It is just not possible to fund such treatments, while top surgeons are paid as they are.

We are going to have to hope that cheaper treatments such as stents replacing open heart surgery continue to be found. I expect some more economical treatments will be developed, but until then these hugely expensive treatments will have to be user pay, or we will go broke, & no one will get anything.

Hi there HASBEEN...

With respect my friend, I don't think a $7 co-payment will enhance anything much. Those with sufficient disposable income won't feel the seven Dollars at all, but many who need to account for every cent will feel it manifestly so, particularly if they suffer from a chronic illness ? Don't you think ?

I must admit, I'm not sufficiently appraised enough about the various cut-off points with much of the budget ? Correct me if I'm wrong, the $7 extinguishes itself after ten visits in any twelve months period, or am I talking rot ? Does it apply to everyone without exception ? Workers compensation matters; the co-payment is met by the insurer or the patient ? There's much yet to be fully revealed, with the co-payment initiave.

Though I thought Mr Hockey said ALL will pay without exception ? Another LNP MP (who's name I forget) said the co-payment was a catchment protocol to ensure every man, women and child pay it without exception ? Pensioners, Gold Card Veterans, the unemployed with a health card...everyone ? I dunno there HASBEEN, this one really worries me ?

And to break a promise not to raise Taxes, was stupid beyond reason. Particularly when all the economists said it would yield little overall, and the broken promise would prove very injurious to the ethics and probity of the Abbott government, for little economic gain ? Go figure.

Hi Poirot, summer come early in the ME eh. I agree with your post. funny that.

Nhoj I think you're right. Malcom has always been in the wings. Waiting, waiting...

I can't see a DD, but who do you vote for if their is? I've said it before. LNP, lies, broken promises. ALP, lies, broken promises. Greens, lies & BS. Palmer, just crap.

Heaven help us!

Hi there JAYB...

Your second last sentence will become one of the great maxims of recent, Australian Political life !

Yes so true hasbeen, I mean, what's wrong with one having medical insurance.

The whole problem is so much has been provided fir so little for so long, the gravy train has simply run dry.

My late dad had both legs amputated, that was after having quadruple bypasses, he had his appendix out, open heart surgery on top of that, suffered from high blood preasure, the list went on.

He didn't actually pay for all that treatment, somebody else did. It's simply can't continue.

As for the budget cut backs, my opinion is they are just a starting point and can be negotiated down.

Of cause it would be helpful if labor and the greens could counter offer, as blind Freddie knows where we are at present is unsustainable.

Rehctub wrote, "he didn't actually pay for all that treatment".

Wrong. He *DID* pay. It's called *TAX*. His tax paid for the medical research, his tax paid for the hospitals, his tax paid for the medical equipment, his tax paid for the medical system itself .... both for himself and other people. He started making a contribution towards his eventual treatments, and the treatments of other people *THE MOMENT HE FIRST STARTED PAYING TAX*.