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Bulk billing is dead. Not a good time to be in Australia if you are sick


MichaelP

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I do think though that the unintended consequence of all this is the so called poor, or those who don't want to pay the $7 will start going to the hospital emergency wards wanting free treatment and will lead to further problems.

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I do think though that the unintended consequence of all this is the so called poor, or those who don't want to pay the $7 will start going to the hospital emergency wards wanting free treatment and will lead to further problems.

 

You might be right on that front Parley. Do you think the government have thought it through very well?

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I do think though that the unintended consequence of all this is the so called poor, or those who don't want to pay the $7 will start going to the hospital emergency wards wanting free treatment and will lead to further problems.

 

 

Which will tie in nicely with the $1.8bn cuts to hospitals. Just don't be poor and sick.

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Guest The Pom Queen
I would choose a.

I would also say all three are responsible,

for something like keeping yourself fit and healthy then yes it is down to you, but for chronic illness then it's b and c.

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Well paul, just do some googling on lower socio-economic groups and risk factors and you will see lots about drinking, smoking, gambling etc.

 

Not everyone I agree, and I know there are people who are not in that stereotype.

 

In the meantime the higher socio economic group will be tucking into their free lunches and champagne.

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I do think though that the unintended consequence of all this is the so called poor, or those who don't want to pay the $7 will start going to the hospital emergency wards wanting free treatment and will lead to further problems.

so you agree its a stupid idea then, this is progress...

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And the fact that the seniors supplement is to be axed immediately. For many retirees on low incomes this will be the only discretionary income they have. It may not make a difference in Hockey and Abbottland in North Sydney but it certainly will in less affluent areas, particularly those with a high percentage of older residents.

 

I have just read that Mr Hockey want's to raise the age when you can access your super, He will be looking into that very shortly he wants to get his budget through senate first. mmm

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Unless you're talking about lung cancer, maybe.

 

But what is the biggest health threat facing Australia right now? Obesity. Is it within your control?

 

Slightly off topic I guess, but you don't have to have been a smoker to get lung cancer. A friend's husband had it, sadly no longer with us as a result, and she said when people asked him about his illness, as soon as he said lung cancer, their sympathy switched off, thinking it must have been self-inflicted. In fact, he was one of the many who hadn't ever smoked, never worked in a smoke-filled environment, wasn't in any of the high risk groups...yet he still got it, and it still killed him.

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I think it is so wrong but if they are going to do it then people on concession cards should be exempt from co-payments, extra prescription charges etc. I know it's free after 10 visits but it's still morally wrong making poorer people pay as you're just making poor people poorer - where's the fairness in that?

 

From what I see evidently the labor government have got us into debt so Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey are the knights in shining armour coming along to save the day, boost the economy and provide lots of lovely jobs for us all. But in order to do that they need money and lots of it so they're deciding to take it from the unemployed, disabled and the low paid. Oh no wait a minute they are taking more tax from the super rich so it must be alright then mustn't it? However, I'm pretty sure these wealthy people will gets their accountants to manipulate a few figures come tax time and are they really going to have to adjust their weekly household budgets to accommodate that hike?!

 

its just plain mean and wrong and it confirms to me why I didn't vote for them as knew it was on the horizon.[/quote

 

 

Just because you earn over the threshold for the extra tax does not make you super rich!! My OH works in mining and will probably have to pay this, as well as being on the higher tax rate anyway, not qualifying for any benefits(not that we expect to), having to take out Private Health Insurance or Pay around an extra Levy on Medicare, but we are certainly not rich. So please do not think just because you earn around $180,000 you are living the life of Riley! We still have the same bills, mortgage etc to pay as someone else earning $100000, just means we can save a bit! We are a one income family, would you still class this amount as super rich if two of us were working earning 90,000 each.

 

i know for a fact that if I was earning $180,000 myself and my kids would definitely be living the life of riley as that's a damn site more than I earn and can ever dream of earning!

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Slightly off topic I guess, but you don't have to have been a smoker to get lung cancer. A friend's husband had it, sadly no longer with us as a result, and she said when people asked him about his illness, as soon as he said lung cancer, their sympathy switched off, thinking it must have been self-inflicted. In fact, he was one of the many who hadn't ever smoked, never worked in a smoke-filled environment, wasn't in any of the high risk groups...yet he still got it, and it still killed him.

 

 

Same story for my friend too. So very sad.

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I think it is so wrong but if they are going to do it then people on concession cards should be exempt from co-payments, extra prescription charges etc. I know it's free after 10 visits but it's still morally wrong making poorer people pay as you're just making poor people poorer - where's the fairness in that?

 

From what I see evidently the labor government have got us into debt so Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey are the knights in shining armour coming along to save the day, boost the economy and provide lots of lovely jobs for us all. But in order to do that they need money and lots of it so they're deciding to take it from the unemployed, disabled and the low paid. Oh no wait a minute they are taking more tax from the super rich so it must be alright then mustn't it? However, I'm pretty sure these wealthy people will gets their accountants to manipulate a few figures come tax time and are they really going to have to adjust their weekly household budgets to accommodate that hike?!

 

its just plain mean and wrong and it confirms to me why I didn't vote for them as knew it was on the horizon.

I agree with that

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Slightly off topic I guess, but you don't have to have been a smoker to get lung cancer.

 

That's why I wrote 'maybe'. It's about the only common cancer where your lifestyle can have a significant effect. Most other cancers are simply the luck of the draw.

 

But Parleys point remains, in that you can do much to look after your health. And my point remains, that obesity, which is 99% preventable, is a significant and increasing draw on Medicare. It might not be someones fault that they are poor, but poor and with fat kids; something's wrong.

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Now who is stereotyping?

 

Yep I know that. Just did it to counter parleys poor people smoking and drinking problems. If their wasn't a bit of truth to it their wouldn't be a stereotype.

 

My FIL was manager of a big multi national company in the UK. When Christmas came along I used to take him to all the free does he had to attend. I didn't mind as I got to drive his company beamer for the night and me and the girlfriend (now wife) used to go for a blast around some country roads.

 

Invariably, when we went to pick them up they would be smashed out of their tree along with most of the other people there. Now I'm not against people having a few drinks and getting things for free but he often said it was crazy in those circles, the money that got thrown around. He rolled up at home one day near Christmas with a hostess trolley in the back of the company wagon. The MIL thought it was a Christmas present for them but he said he'd asked one of the customers what he wanted for Christmas, they usually got a case of wine of whisky or something but this guy had asked for a hostess trolley. Seeing as the FIL had asked he had to get one.

 

He used to get lots of freebies back from other companies so I guess it evened out. He used to give us loads of whisky and wine that he didn't have room for.

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Course it's (obesity) in your control Xenon, cancer isn't though.

 

So, at the risk of preempting ParleyCross's next post, and to put it in terms which are quite terse:

 

How can someone who has found the money to feed their gut to the point of ill-health then claim poverty when it comes to finding 7$ for the GP?

 

[i've got my flame proof Y fronts on, so fire away]

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