PM HIts Back At Medicare Reform Criticism

[icyfroth]

"When I go to the Dr. I pay $69 and receive $34 back, a visit to a specialist prior to Christmas cost me $268 and I received $72.75 back. The specialist never bulk bills therefore those depending on free health care, those that don’t work, line up at the hospital and have no problem waiting all day because they don’t work and can wait.

Those who are lucky enough to be on the bulk billing scenario don’t pay anything they are paid for by you and me who pay twice.

Why do working p...eople have to pay twice? Those with health care cards also receive prescriptions for $6, those working pay the full price for a prescription. 

Medicare costs Australia $20 billion a year and the government receives $10 billion in revenue, a short fall of $10 billion.

How long does Lambie and Muir expect Australia to be able to afford free health care, what happens when those working and paying for those who don’t work retire? Where will health care be in twenty years time if no action is taken today to bring these problems under control.

I do believe Lambie and Muir should not be making decisions about Australia’s health care crisis, is our Prime Minister joking when he asks for them to come up with a solution? "

Entire Article Here

[raptor_rebooted]

lol

[gleee58]

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@idlewhile wrote:

They could always plant a money tree to prop up the health system when it blows out to $25 billion a year, that's what Labor will do. or maybe bake a magic pudding?

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Haven't you heard?  The extra money is not going to medicare or to prop up the health system.  

It's all going in the bank for when some corporation in the future wants to dip into it for a bit of medical research.

[go-tazz]

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@gleee58 wrote:

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Haven't you heard?  The extra money is not going to medicare or to prop up the health system.  

It's all going in the bank for when some corporation in the future wants to dip into it for a bit of medical research.

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Until they need it to prop up their budget or to make certain their pensions are safe.

In reality the government will see this as a bonus as those that now can't afford to see a doctor may delay in

seeing a doctor and they may not survive,(which also means that the Ambulance and Hospital systems will

be over run and critical patient may not get the response they need),

They know that the fee will be passed on to the patient after all no doctor is going to take a $20,(over 30%) pay

cut.

The Government simply has no care factor,(they don't care who gets hurt as long it's not them),,

[bright.ton42]

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@polksaladallie wrote:

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@bright.ton42 wrote:

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@lind9650 wrote:

We are on the Age Pension, but not everything is free. For a referal to the Optamologist I had to pay $120.- no refund from Medicare and every visit cost $69.- with the same $34.- refund as Icy gets. Visits to a Specialist twice a year $114.- each time and no Medicare refund. Special scans an extra $98.- and anoter $120.- for the referal.

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Pensioners are means tested so many don't qualify for the full benefit.  As for paying above the schedule fee with specialists I think it is up to the GP which specialist their client sees.  Mine is very good with me and makes sure I don't pay anything for specialist services, scans etc as I'm on the full pension.   I don't know if that will change now. 

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You don't have to go to the specialist that your GP chooses.  You can choose anyone you want. 

I doubt that there are many bulk-billing specialists, if any.

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Do you?  I must be lucky then.