Changes to the Private Health Rebate

February 15, 2012

The Federal Member for Hume, Alby Schultz MP spoke in Parliament yesterday outlining his objection to the Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill which will have considerable implications for the way in which individuals and families across the Hume electorate access their healthcare.

“Some 46 percent of Hume residents have some form of private health cover, all of whom will be considerably affected through a direct increase to insurance premiums as a result of this legislation” Alby said today.

“The inevitable rise of insurance premiums will force many Australian individuals to either downgrade or drop out of private health insurance altogether, creating additional burden for an overstressed public health system while well-equipped private hospitals and their professional medical teams stand idly by” Alby added.

“Furthermore, in September 2007, then Shadow Minister for Health Nicola Roxon MP told the Australian people in a press release that Labor was “committed to retaining all of the existing Private health Insurance rebates”.”

“The fact that Labor has now proposed this legislation has reinforced the classic adage don’t believe what Labor says, look at what they do” Alby said.

“This blatant cost-shifting measure from the Labor Government will not achieve anything in the provision of healthcare in this nation, it will simply add to administrative inefficiencies in our health system and put further pressure on public hospital waiting lists for elective surgery which currently forces people to queue up for long periods despite the urgency of their need” Alby concluded.

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