PM Transcripts

INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIME MINISTER FOR 3 NOVEMBER 1978
QUESTION: Does this mean that the Government is prepared to
legislate to force the funds to provide/ cover for chronically
ill patients if need be? full
PRIME MINISTER: At the moment it doesn't mean any more
than I have indicated there. I had quite a long talk with
Ralph Hunt this morning and he has been very concerned about it.
We were both concerned that chronically ill people should be
fully protected. The way to go about it, is that he is
preparing a report for Cabinet so that we can discuss it at
the earliest opportunity. We will have to see where we go
from there.
QUESTION: You have said, as you say, that you are determined that
the chronically ill will be protected. Will this be by the
private funds?
PRIME MINISTER: Let me just not go beyond, at the moment, that
plain statement that the chronically ill will be protected.
QUESTION: There have been suggestions, Prime Minister, thatthe
Government might take over responsibility for the bill s of the
chronically ill. Would you see that then as an option at
this stage?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that if funds are insuring somebody
for a long while, and they become chronically ill, or have
preexisting illnesses, that there is an obligation for the
funds, at one sense, to take the good with the bad. I think the
Government would be approaching it from that basis.
QUESTION: Does the whole situation show up quite a major mistake
in the Government's new guidelines?
PRIME MINISTER: No, not at. all, not at all.
The whd1e purpose of health insurance is to protect people when
they are sick you don't need protection when you are well, when
you are fit and young perhaps, but when you do become sick
you need protection. If you become chronically sick you need
that protection even more.
QUESTION: Yet, up to this point in time, the funds haven't
imposed these sorts of restrictions.
PRIME MINISTER: That is exactly it. I really can't go beyond
this at the moment. The Minister is reporting to the
Government on the matter, Cabinet will be discussing it, and
both the Minister and myself are determined that those who need
protection, will be protected. Can we leave it at that, and we
will see what comes out of our examination.
ENDS