Means-testing private health insurance will drive up premiums and increase pressure on public hospital system
10-February-2012
Luke Hartsuyker MP -
Families with private health insurance will pay higher premiums and overstretched public hospitals will be under more pressure if Rob Oakeshott supports the Gillard Government’s plan to means test the private health insurance rebate, Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker said today.
Mr Hartsuyker was commenting on media reports that Mr Oakeshott will support Federal Labor’s means testing of private health insurance.
“This is the most blatant example of cost-shifting from the Commonwealth to the States’ public health system in living memory,” Mr Hartsuyker said.
“Means- testing will see more people drop private health insurance or reduce their level of cover. It will lead to higher premiums and inevitably see more people seek care from the public health system.
“In the end, waiting lists will rise and the poorest people in the country will be queuing for longer to access medical treatment.
“In the Cowper electorate more than 45,000 people are covered by private health insurance and I suspect similar numbers exist in both Mr Oakeshott’s electorate of Lyne and Janelle Saffin’s electorate of Page.
“This is a very short-sighted policy which ignores the importance of private hospitals and the specialists they attract to regional communities.
“According to Deloitte, means testing the rebate will lead to 1.6 million people dropping their cover and a further 4.3 million downgrading their cover over the next five years.
“Deloitte also forecasts this will add an extra $3.8 billion in costs to the public health system. That will flow through to hospital and health services right across the North Coast.”
Mr Hartsuyker said means-testing also represented another broken promise by Federal Labor.
“Hot on the heals of the carbon tax betrayal and the poker machine double cross, Federal Labor is starting 2012 by reneging on its commitment to not change the private health insurance rebate.
“The fact that Mr Oakeshott would support such a policy is just another example of him putting the political interests of the Gillard Government ahead of the welfare of his constituents.”