PM Transcripts

ljj> AUSTRALIA.. J
PRUME NIMSTMER Press Statement No. 537
July 1975
MEDIBANK AGREEMENTS
The Prime Minister today signed the Medibank hospital
agreements under which the Australian Government will meet half
the net operat;. ng costs of the public hospital systems of
Victoria and West-ern Australia.
The agreements will be flown to Melbourne and Perth
tonight for endorsement by the Premier of Victoria, Mr Hamer
and the Premier of Western Australia, Sir Charles Court. The
agreements are due to take effect from Friday 1 August.
The Prime Minister said the Australian Government's
financial commitment to the States' hospital systems this
financial year would be $ 200 million for Victoria and $ 78 million
for Western Australia.
The State governments would meet similar amounts.
The Medibank agreements would ensure that everyone in
those States was entitled to free access to standard ward public
hospital treatment free of means test.
This restored the situation which was introduced by the
Chifley Labor Government in 1947 and allowed to lapse under the
Menzies Government five years later.
Apart from providing sorely needed funds for the public
hospital systems, the Prime Minister said, the Medibank agreements
would also reduce the charges for private and intermediate ward
care in public hospitals.
Private hospital insurance contributions would also be
reduced considerably because the Australian Government benefits
of $ 2 a day, under the old National Health Act, would be
increased by $ 16 a day.
The agreements signed today mean that four States have
now entered the Nedibank hospital plan.
The States of South Australia and Tasmania joined the
plan on July 1. Negotiations are continuing for the entry of the
remaining States of New South Wales and Queensland as soon as
they accept the same arrangements as the other States.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.