All Australians deserve free health care

[Proud Pies]

I don't know the person who wrote this, but she could quite easily have opened up my head and got the inspiration for this article from there.

I know what the current Federal Government think of Medicare and the health of the nation (as long as you have money) and as a member of the ALP, I have written to them (the ALP) on their amazing silence of what they will be doing in relation to Medicare and the Health of EVERYONE. I'm waiting on a response to that and will let you know when i get one.

Anyway, here's the article, well worth the read.

http://www.tiny.cc/SUp5V

All Australians deserve free health care

Catherine Deveny
August 8, 2007


HOW can anyone not agree with free universal high-quality health care? How can anyone think that our current public/private marriage of political convenience is beneficial to all Australians both now and in the future? How can anyone think that our nation is getting value for money? It's not.

Private health insurance is a rip-off. Public health needs the $3 billion government subsidy that is propping up the private health insurance industry. And a truck-load more. People don't need a 30 per cent rebate on their private health insurance premiums. They need not to feel terrified into having to pay the premiums in the first place.

My solution? Make it mandatory that politicians and their families are forced to use only the public health system.

Government subsidy of private health is theft from the public health system. It's a disgrace. Where is the choice if you are on benefits or a low income and you can't afford private health insurance? "Chicken or beef, sir?" That's a choice.

Having private health insurance is not a choice. The poor, the old and the vulnerable wait in pain. The rest get served first. Why is pain and loss of quality of life not as important if the person is old, poor or on benefits? It's discrimination. It's an economically adjusted pain scale. "They're doing it tough so a bit more pain won't hurt 'em."

Last week I found myself on the Medi-Go-Round. It was one of those "it's probably nothing, it's probably nothing, it's probably nothing, maybe it's cancer" scenarios. After six months of niggles that had grown to excruciating discomfort, I was off to the doctor. There was talk of having something removed. I don't have private health insurance. I've never had it. I'm politically and philosophically opposed to it.

But I also have the confidence of my convictions to tell you that if I was facing six months on a waiting list or six months of misery, I was happy to pay out of my own pocket and jump the queue. It's not fair that I can do that. I want my taxes used efficiently, or to pay more tax so that we can all be treated in order of need and not of wealth.

Start talking to people about why they have private health insurance and you'll realise that hospital waiting lists are the best advertisement and incentive for private health insurance there is. The Government has no interest in reducing the waiting lists because the waiting lists are saving them money that they can spend on important things, such as the parliamentary super fund, $9000-a-roll silk wallpaper for the Prime Minister's plane and more defence toys and war bling.

People will tell you that they have private health insurance because they were sucked in by the fear of waiting lists, getting into "the breeding zone", the 2000 run-for-cover campaign or simply "because my accountant told me to". None of them will tell you that they think it's value for money. Most of them are opposed to it. Necessary evil. They will tell you that they don't notice the payments and any rebate feels like a bonus.

If negative optimism is "it won't happen to me" then positive optimism must be "maybe it will". Once people sign up to private health insurance they are reluctant to pull out because: "What if I get hit by a car tomorrow?" And for the people who convince themselves that having private health insurance is taking pressure off public hospitals, it's not. It's making the situation worse.

It's clever how the Government is taking away with one hand and giving back with the other. "Oh look at what a mess the public health system is in! Whoever did that should be smacked. And look at the Medicare levy surcharge. Outrageous! Here's a rebate on your private health insurance and a lovely safety net. What did you say? A safety net will only encourage the increase of fees and not benefit the public in any way shape or form? Don't be so cynical. We're your Government and we love you." It's all smoke and mirrors, ladies and gentlemen.

I pay the Medicare levy surcharge and I want it to go to Medicare. At present, it doesn't. It probably goes to pay for John Howard's nose-hair clippers, or some more taxpayer-funded government advertising.

Tomorrow Michael Moore's documentary on the US health system, Sicko, opens in cinemas around Australia. When you watch this movie think of it as "here's one we prepared earlier".

There is a proverb: "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." With free high-quality universal health care there will be shade for our children. With the increase of private health there will be no shade because there will be no trees.

I love a good rant. I feel better now.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

Free health would be nice, I have private but often wonder wether it's worth it. It may come in hand some day. . . I might go out and get myself some rare disease so I can justify the premium I pay

[Dale61]

How Australian would you have to be to get this free health care?

I can just see the line of all those who, having become ill, decide to become Australian for the day.

[Culprit]

Private Health care is a scam. If you can afford it good luck to you. Then again private health care is like a hospital gown, they both hardly cover you.

If Howard had his way Medicare would be gone and we would be even more closer to the US System.

Watch "Sicko". No wonder the US is pissed at Mike Moore.

[stui magpie]

I think the sytem we have at the moment is, in principle, not too bad but could certainly be improved.

I have private health insurance. I've used it mainly for my kids though. eg, when my son had a beneign tumour in his leg, I could simple get a referral to a surgeon and have him prganise a date that suited for surgery. He could have been waiting years under the public system.

Despite the issues, we are a hell of a lot better off than America is as far as I understand. There was a very good review of "Sicko" in todays herald sun where the reviewer pointed out how Morre took the soft option when looking at the heath care system in other countries and in some cases boosted them up better than they actually are.

Everyone should have access to health care regardless of their income. In Australia, people who have a health care card can go to a GP and have the visit bulk billed which means it costs them nothing. If they are ill, they can be cared for in a public hospital for free. The only problem at the moment is waiting time. Lack of resources is a big issue there, but so are the number of people who go to the emergency ward instead of their GP and clog the system up.

I wouldn't be happy to see Medicare undermined further but I also wouldn't like to see completely socialised medicine.

[London Dave]

Howards changes to health have simply made health insurance companies the biggest tax payer subsidised companies in Oz. Wait til they float... the exec's will pocket a large wedge of cash, should go down well with the great unwashed.

No simple solution, but the 'best' system won't be arrived at by throwing cash at marginals.

[Morrigu]

[Proud Pies]

[Dale61]

[Joel]

I know nurses who say that the standard of care if private hospitals isn't as good as private. That said, most of them have private health insurance simply because of the waiting lists.

[Culprit]

[Alec. J. Hidell]

Universal Health care will only benefit the less well off and the middle class in our society, therefore those that own the wealth will never allow it

[Joel]

It's a conspiracy!!!

[member34258]

[HAL]

I have reached the end of my explanation.