SCOTT MORRISON’S HEALTH FUND PROTECTION RACKET
The Liberals are doing everything in their power to protect the profits of the big health funds but nothing to help ordinary Australians struggling with relentless premium price rises and ballooning out-of-pocket costs.
Newspaper reports today offer yet more evidence that the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison health insurance “reforms” put their big business mates first and patients last.
According to leaked modelling, the insurers will feel zero pain from the changes – but they will be allowed to slash the benefits they pay to members for joint replacements, cataract surgery, insulin pumps and pain therapy.
The Liberals claim no one will be worse off under their changes. So why are they refusing to publicly release and explain this modelling?
They need to come clean on the real effect their policies will have on ordinary Australians struggling with the cost of healthcare.
The Liberals designed these changes hand-in-hand with the insurers, giving them everything they wanted.
What they don’t seem to realise is that pushing up costs or reducing benefits will only force more people to dump their cover – hastening the decline of the entire industry.
Under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government, premiums have increased by 27 per cent since 2014 – costing families an average $1,000 more. This has already forced thousands of people to drop or downgrade their policies.
Only Labor has a real plan to rein in private health insurance costs – by standing up to the insurers.
By capping premiums price rises at 2 per cent for two years, Australians will save an average of $340.
By contrast, the Government’s changes this year delivered a 4 per cent price rise – double inflation – while the insurers reported massive profits.
Is Scott Morrison really so arrogant and out-of-touch that he thinks annual double inflation price rises are acceptable?
FRIDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2018