EMBARGO: 5: 00 pm
FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 30 ANGq9S; T3' 94.8l
ELECTORATE TALK
( The weekly Prime Ministerial electorate talk o ve r A. -HA milto6n
today is given by the Minister for Health,* The Hon. M. J. R. MacKellar)
I want to speak to you briefly about the new health insurance
arrangements which start on Tuesday, 1 September. I think that
by this stage most people will be quite clear in their minds
as to what they should do to protect themselves against health
costs from that date.
Very briefly, the arrangement is that unless you are eligible
for free care ( and over three million people will be) you will
need to take out health insurance. Those eligible for free
care include pensioners and sickness beneficiaries who have a
pensioner health benefits card, peopl& in special need and
these are people on specified low incomes, people on unemployment*
benefits on certain income levels, migrants and refugees for
their first six months in this country.
For those who need to take out private health insurance, the
health insurance funds have been announcing details of their
benefits offered and the oontribution rates charged. It is pleasing
to note that the net cost of such health insurance will be cheaper
under the new arrangements than it is now, due to the effect of
the taxation-rebate made by the Government. The first of September
will see the start of a system of health funding that will preserve
the element of choice by both the providers and the users of health
care, it will protect those in special need against health care
costs, it will require State Governments to take up their proper
constitutional responsibilities for health services, and it will
encourage a s.. ense of personal responsibility in using and paying
for health care.
The new arrangements reflect the Commonwealth Government's corrnmitrnent
to'small Government'. This is important if people are to be free
to decide how they will spend their money rather than having the
Government take the decisions for them through heavier taxation
burdens. This is a basic difference between the philosophies of
the Government and the Labor Party, who are apparently still committed
to a monopolistic, centralised, tax-financed,' Government healt~ h schen-. t
I say " apparently" committed because so far the Labor Party is, a
Party without a health policy. ./ 2
-2
* The fact that they do not have a health * policy goes a long way towards
explaining the " spoilt child" behaviour of the opposition during -these
last few weeks in attempting to spread misunderstandings within
the community. This is unfortunate, because in any change, people*
n. eed to consider what they need to do to take best advantage of the
coverage available.
We believe that the new health arrangements will serve the country*
well preserving and encouraging the best elements and standards of
our hicj. h quality health care delivery system. lie also believe that.
the new arrangements will avoid the destructive effects of so-called
tfree" health schemies.-There is no such thing as a free health scheme.
The Government will use community funds, gathered th-rough . general
* taxation, to fully protect the less well-off, the elderly, and others
in our. community in special neied. * For the majority' of people who do
not fall into these categories, the Government will heavily subsidise
private health insurance rates. These subsidies are expressed by way
of taxation rebates, and direct financial grants through medical
benefits and subsidies to private hospitals. I believe that
this kind of approach represents a reasonable and a proper balance
between the Government's role and the right to individual choice
and responsibility. 000---