Joseph Helmy 13/07/10 10:21 AM Report Abuse

How about increase the private health insurance rebate to 50% for people earn $120000 per annum or less

JPH 13/07/10 12:54 PM Report Abuse

I agree with Joseph Helmy, however this would probably have to wait until the budget is in surplus.

Joseph Helmy 14/07/10 12:59 PM Report Abuse

A visit to the dentist
How about helping patient with the first $50 for every visit to the dentist.
The bulk billing system for dentists can take care of that.
This will encourage many people for annual checkup, for healthier teeth

Mark Rossi 18/07/10 09:46 PM Report Abuse

Should introduce 50% rebate on health and fitness club memberships. Encourage people to be healthy rather than not. Its a fact that a person who is exercising on a regular basis lives longer and healthier with far less health problems throughout there life.

Mark Rossi 18/07/10 09:56 PM Report Abuse

Oh and while your at it, put some incentives in place for personal training courses because you would need a lot more personal trainers. You will create more jobs while your at it. Just do it.

Jody 20/07/10 10:16 PM Report Abuse

What is the Liberal Party's stance on online medical records? Personally, I think there's too much risk of privacy breaches, and it takes too much power away from the patients. I don't like the fact that doctors can pass your medical records around without asking you first. It should be completely up to the patients who can access their medical records and what is recorded in them.

I'd prefer not to have medical records at all actually. It's the most sensitive possible information about you, and yet it's forcibly recorded without your consent and there's nothing you can do about it.

Esther 20/07/10 11:01 PM Report Abuse

Forget the fitness clubs. Take yourself for a walk or run or cycle. Do some gardening or clean the windows. Yoga DVDs are good too. Much more important to improve hospitals all over the state, not just in the capital cities, so people with cancer don't have to spend hours driving back and forth to see the oncologist or for radiotherapy or chemotherapy. It is just too much. Others are dying on waiting lists.

Bellie 20/07/10 11:20 PM Report Abuse

Introduce a fat tax,( for those overweight and without medical reason) the money earned from this can be pumped back into the health system and also bring in a rebate for those who are doing things to enhance their health such as for gym memberships, sporting fees etc.

Mark R 20/07/10 11:36 PM Report Abuse

What Bellie said... Perfect.

Geoff Mallett 24/07/10 06:53 AM Report Abuse

Just bring back bulk billing for basic things like xrays and patholagy. Thats one thing i have noticed since labor has come to power. There is no where in my electorate where they bulk bill, not that i can find anyway!

annemarie 24/07/10 05:34 PM Report Abuse

All good and well but as a Registered Nurse how about improving pay rates for nurses. Who will staff the new beds and clinics? Many nurses are leaving the profession because we have had enough of underpay,and needing to work weekends just to make end meet,in comparison to other white collared professions. Remunerate a nurse appropriately and beds can be staffed. Thank you.

Johanna91 26/07/10 03:31 PM Report Abuse

I am interested in what improvments there with be for Nurses, and will hospitals be able to increase there number of staff with a liberal government?
Hospitals need to be more of a priority if Health is to be taken seriously.

RN 26/07/10 07:45 PM Report Abuse

What is the liberal party's policy on health? I can't seem to find any info anywhere on their site! Do they even have one?

Arron 26/07/10 09:23 PM Report Abuse

I wish this would be the party to make major health reform and to drop/phase out the crappy health model we cling to. If I drive my car like a fool and hit people, my premium goes up. If I treat my body foolishly, the country pays. Until we get away from the idea that poor health is the result of bad germs, bad genes and bad luck, we will continue to poor money down the "health care" hole.

Dr Tony Stiller 26/07/10 09:45 PM Report Abuse

When will the Liberal Party release their policy on e-Health and the 16 digit personal identification number to allow access to medical records for a mobile society across Australia and the world? I am a university researcher in health informatics and at our HIMMA national conference in Sydney in October it would be good to know where the two parties stand.
Why is this important, I am a presenter with the topic Accessing E-Health information and literacy for the eNomad and it would be good to know facts well in advance as this will influence my paper and presentation.

Kaz 27/07/10 11:44 AM Report Abuse

Is it just me - or is there no real substance to this policy. Is Lib investing anything to give us more doctors and nurses, our hospitals are failing?

The Mental Health policy is a great start (and needed) but what about the rest of health? There needs to be a balance.

LEKH 27/07/10 12:05 PM Report Abuse

I propose health voucher for each patient to be used by the patient to buy private medical services to put the patient in control. Patients would fill in and lodge an online report card after each visit. Patients would be able to see other patients report cards. Doctors would continue to have duty of care. Patient empowerment through information such as phone and online consultation, diagnosis and treatment recommendation are the keys to treatment success. For all of my problems private doctors are better.

Craig 27/07/10 03:48 PM Report Abuse

The labour party changed the law regarding the chemists' dispensing products containing codeine such as Panadeine and Nurofen Plus. This is because such products have been abused by a small minority. I just had to go to the chemist to get some Panadeine for my son who has a broken arm. We had to go through the 3rd degree with the chemist who is just as frustrated as the custoomers about this political meddling in people's basic health. It would be useful if the liberal party made a policy on this. It would get significant traction with the elderly (like my mother who uses Nurofen Plus for arthritis) and the rest of us who use it normally for migrains and back pain.

Jim T 28/07/10 04:16 PM Report Abuse

I have just heard from someone working in the NSW Health Dept that they are about to change all the Area Health Services boundaries due to the Federal Govt becoming involved. With the State Labour Govt on tenderhooks and the federal Election soon what a waste of taxpapers money doing any changes like this with the uncertainty of which parties and hence policies are going to be...........

Mike 29/07/10 08:44 AM Report Abuse

Craig

It would help too if Drug companies were not allowed to Advertise and ENCOURAGE use of their headache and other products. I f I have a headache I lie down or relax and mostly it goes away - If it doesnt I see the chemist or doctor !

Arthur Applecart 29/07/10 01:01 PM Report Abuse

How does government-sponsored, government-promoted and government-subsidised private health insurance differ from the queue-jumping you allegedly deplore in the refugee debate? How does allowing rich people to jump the queue by paying more money differ from asylum-seekers paying people smugglers? Hypocrites.

Craig 29/07/10 07:23 PM Report Abuse

Mike

Good suggestion. I hope next time you go to the supermarket the checkout chick gives you the 3rd degree about why you need that tub of margarine (these companies advertise and ENCOURAGE use of their spread and other products). If I make a sandwich I don't use a spread and mostly enjoy it anyway. If I don't I go to subway!

And next time you break your arm, just lie down and relax and the pain will go away.

Virginia Platt 31/07/10 09:32 PM Report Abuse

Bring back obstetric cover under medicare.

Andrew Brewster 01/08/10 09:57 PM Report Abuse

Really disappointed with the lack of focus on changing the operation of the health system. Spending over 3 hours in emergency depts watching my family members suffer is absolutely unacceptable. I had a similar experience around 6 years ago but it seems to be getting worse. Very hard to believe people are not dying as a result of the lack of action here.

I will not vote for anyone unless they have clearly explained how they will fix the current mess. Tweaking at the edges and reducing red tape is fine but real substantial action is required in this area. Small government, agreed but this area requires intervention. Double the medicare levy, anything, just fix it!

GTM 04/08/10 03:20 PM Report Abuse

As well as preserving the private health rebate at the top level, if you genuinely want to increase the take up, you should review the whole medical benefits scheme. The multiple services rule, in particular, actually penalises people for having private insurance! When more than one procedure is carried out in an operation, the 2nd procedure is re-calculated to 50% of its scheduled fee and further procedures to 25% of their scheduled fees. This results in hefty out-of-pocket expenses for the privately insured patients making a joke of the whole system. I have had private cover all my life with no previous claims and have just picked up 65% of the tab for recent surgery......hardly a convincing case for people to take up private insurance.

nesuca 05/08/10 11:39 AM Report Abuse

how are you going to relieve the shortage of nurses and midwives in our hospitals maybe forgive their HECS debt after 5 years of hospital service??

Julie Tammo 07/08/10 11:53 AM Report Abuse

Your policy prior to the election was to SELL MEDIBANK PRIVATE. What has hjappened to this Policy? Is this b eing kept in your back pocket?

Loris Hemlof 11/08/10 12:41 PM Report Abuse

Private health vouchers for all citizens for best results.

Loris Hemlof 11/08/10 12:54 PM Report Abuse

Private health vouchers, voucher loan and medical records card for all for good results.

W Parsons 11/08/10 03:34 PM Report Abuse

As an ex- Soldier who came down with P.T.S.D in the Armed forces, when will the onus of proof be upon the D.V.A. instead of the service-personnel? It has been SIX years for me to fight the DVA for them even to accept my condition and despite medical evidence proving I am Totally & permanently Incapacitated the DVA will not accept it!
My service pension is BELOW the aged pension. The DVA has to be swept clean with a new broom. There are too many Vietnam Veterans who, due to the constant stonewalling by the DVA would be prepared to do something rather desperate to wake people up to our plight. Will the party do something to help we who are desperate, living far below the poverty line all because of a mental health problem bought on due to our military service?

wvdveer 27/08/10 12:45 PM Report Abuse

Adding to that, I would like the NSW government to transfer the following things from state to local government/local boards responsibility:

1. Hospitals
2. Payroll tax
3. Poker machine revenue
4. Mining royalties

The package is more or less revenue neutral for the state government:

payroll ($6b) + pokies ($1b) + mining ($1b) + cwlth($4b) = hospitals ($12b)

We can get the local control that Peter Dutton rightly proposes.

Regional hospitals are ok because while they have less payroll tax, they have mining revenue. e.g. With local mines supporting it, Gulgong Hospital could be reopened.

Also, councils that don't want pokies in their area could ban them and make up the difference in rates.

Diane 07/10/10 11:18 PM Report Abuse

We need more privacy in the health system too. A few things to fix:

- Doctors and nurses discussing your medical matters in hospitals in front of other patients and visitors. We need more private rooms, and for hospitals to stop being built with shared wards.
- Doctors passing your medical records around too much.
- E-health records being forced on people (including older legacy systems). This could lead to people being less trusting and less open with their doctors.
- Doctors being able to record extra-sensitive conditions which the patient doesn't want recorded eg incontinence, sexual dysfunction, STDs; and pharmacists recording the medications for those conditions.
- Pharmacists asking you personal questions in front of other customers.
- Pharmacists giving you your medication in full view of other customers (who can then work out what you suffer from).
- The tiny penalties handed out to doctors who breach privacy.

All of this leads to a feeling of powerlessness in the patient, that their privacy is being violated, and there's nothing they can do about it, because it's a systemic problem across the whole health sector which medical staff don't even recognise is a problem.

Loris Hemlof 28/10/10 03:21 AM Report Abuse

Increase the medicare levy to 20% paid instead of income tax, 10% used for access for all to private health insurance, and 10% for health vouchers used to pay for 20% insured service co-payment to insurer to encourage efficiencies and provider responsiveness for instant access to health care responsive to patient paid for priorities. Everyone knows that you work out your own priorities and pay for a private dentist if you want good teeth.

Holly Rose 02/03/11 11:07 AM Report Abuse

Private health needs to be protected from Labor's premium rises and Bob Brown's scrapping of rebates all together.

Drew 25/05/11 09:43 PM Report Abuse

The Private Health Rebate needs to be MEANS TESTED . Australia cant afford to be handing over $$$$$$$ to the Upper Middle Class.

And with The Greens having 10 Senators on July 1 2011 The Rebate WILL be means tested for those in need.

P.S. On another issue if the Lib/Nats are serious about healthcare they will stop taking $$$$ from BIG TOBACCO .

Maz 10/06/11 04:07 PM Report Abuse

To Drew, what is your definition of Upper Middle Class??? We are in our 50's struggling to pay off a home somewhere near retirement. If we don't get the rebate we will drastically reduce our Private Health, which in turn will increase the cost to the lower end of the scale, don't you get it....

Holly Rose 20/06/11 10:07 AM Report Abuse

Drew,
Why should everything be "Means Tested" just to work in favor of dole bludgers and welfare cheats? If you want private health cover, get a job and pay for it like everyone else does!!! Stop expecting the government to keep handing everything out to you...no wonder the country is in deficit!!!

Jimmy Tightlips 20/06/11 12:25 PM Report Abuse

Very Uninteresting!!

Holly Rose II 20/06/11 12:26 PM Report Abuse

Drew,
Why should everything be "Means Tested" just to work in favor of dole bludgers and welfare cheats? If you want private health cover, get a job and pay for it like everyone else does!!! Stop expecting the government to keep handing everything out to you...no wonder the country is in deficit!!!

Alicia86 06/10/11 04:33 PM Report Abuse

Sounds like a fine idea to me!
I am a Registered Nurse and those who are employed in hospitals and deal with the constant day to day healthcare pressures, are the people in the best position to make positive changes.
I am very sick of politicians explaining that they will increase the number of beds in a hospital, but what about increasing the number of nurses and doctors looking after the patients in those beds!
I have worked on wards where beds are often not being used simply because there are too few nurses to monitor the patients in those beds. Help recruit Australian Nurses, don't implement a quick fix that encourages overseas nurses i.e. from India or China that have not had the training that Australian Nurses have had and bring down our standard of nursing care!

fallon47 14/01/12 03:19 PM Report Abuse

To Drew, I have to say that the upper middle class pay substantial tax and they pay for their own private health. Number 1 priority just vote out of labor and Bob brown.
I agree with Alicia we need more Australian trained nurses.

Lee 03/02/12 03:58 PM Report Abuse

I can never understand why Dental is not covered by Medicare. Your teeth are in your mouth, your mouth is part of your body - which is covered under Medicare. If you have teeth or mouth problems, you are still suffering from ill-health and it should covered. I'll vote for anyone who brings Dental into Medicare.