Private Health Insurance Rebate

09/02/12

Today the Gillard Government has broken another promise and brought back into the Parliament legislation that will make private health insurance more expensive for 2.4 million Australians.

The legislation to means test the private health insurance rebate rips up Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard’s promise to protect private health insurance and it will result in cost increases for households of up to 43 per cent.

This legislation, if passed by the Greens, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, will have a dramatic impact on household budgets, as well as put further pressure on a public hospital system already under strain.

Australian households are paying a heavy price for Labor’s waste and mismanagement and its failure to manage the budget.

It is estimated that if this legislation is passed, 1.6 million Australians will drop private hospital cover over the next five years and another 4.3 million Australians will downgrade their level of coverage.

As millions of people leave private health insurance, the cost of that insurance will rise even more and put further pressure on our public hospital system.

The Coalition supports affordable health care for all Australians. When I was Health Minister I expanded Medicare beyond doctors and introduced the Medicare Safety Net to help protect people with big out-of-pocket expenses.

The Coalition will vote against this legislation and do everything it can to stop it becoming law.