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NewsThe Results are in: FiftyUps send a message to the Federal Health Minister
The Results are in: FiftyUps send a message to the Federal Health Minister

The Results are in: FiftyUps send a message to the Federal Health Minister

Tags: Consumer Action Cost of Living Insurance Private Health Insurance
Last updated by John Mangos on

John MangosFederal Health Minister Peter Dutton, here I come.

I am looking forward to our meeting next week, where I hope to be the voice for more than 90,000 FiftyUp Club members on health care costs.

Something tells me it will be a very productive meeting. I will bring with me the results of a survey, which more than 11,000 FiftyUps have answered in just over a week.

That’s an astonishing sample by any pollster’s measure, and Mr Dutton will learn that we are fair and reasonable in what we are asking for.

For example, 60% of we FiftyUps agree that our health system is unsustainable and 70% are prepared to contribute a small amount to our own health care costs if it helps balance the Federal Budget.

We have always said we are prepared to do some of the heavy lifting, and these figures prove it.

However 30% told us that planned GP co-payments would force them to avoid the doctor when sick, or burden a hospital instead. On this I am sure the Minister has seen his own private polling, and our numbers will back it up.

Mr Dutton won’t be pleased about this next figure: a huge 40% of you say co-payments and Health Insurance prices are likely to change how you will vote at the next election. Ouch!

No Minister likes to hear that.

I will break down our survey results in my meeting with him so that you can be assured he is hearing your collective concerns.

How can I not bring to his attention the fact that 20% of you, one in five, see a GP on average more than 10 times a year? Let’s do the math. If you go say 10 times, multiply that by $7 and there’s an extra $70, and that’s before the extra charges at say pathology or x-ray.

To be fair, the Minister will also learn 32% of FiftyUps will have no trouble paying it, but he will also have confirmed that many of our members are just plain doing it tough.

A whopping 64% say co-payments will force patients to avoid the doctor when sick. None of us wants that to happen.

I will, of course, tell him that many FiftyUps have been forced to reduce their cover, and that an overwhelming 80% of us want more publicity and transparency about information from the different health insurers about increases to charges to FiftyUps – as the FiftyUp Club has repeatedly called for.

Thank you for responding to our survey, if you have. If not, it’s still not too late to add your voice. It’s free to join the Club, and obligation-free, at www.FiftyUpClub.com so get on board and fill out the 3-minute survey.

I will continue to keep you posted on developments.

Originally posted on .

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Brian
Brian from QLD commented:

I am 70 years old, on a superannuation pension. I have been employed all my working life & have paid my way. I pay an enormous health insurance premium every fortnight to cover my wife & myself in case of ill health necessitating hospitalisation. We also both paid our Medicare contribution from the day it was introduced. The gap between what doctors & specialists charge & what is refunded by Medicare is huge & growing & it is a struggle for elderly people & low income earners to have to pay. It is heartless & grossly unfair to charge a co-payment on top of what is already excessive. If Medicare needs more money to remain viable as a medical health system it would be much less onerous on elderly & disadvantaged patients & would spread the cost across the entire community if the levy was raised by one per cent. 

Ronda
Ronda from QLD commented:

I receive a part pension and am part self-funded. I have to have blood tests, often weekly because I take Warfarin. With everything going up in price, plus $7 per test and doctors' visits, and interest rates going steadily down, I sometimes feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. Ronda from Qld 

tim
tim from NSW commented:

Disapointed with Australians in my age group who should know better I am still working almost 70 I dont know why people would not want to pay $7.00 for a Doctors visit it just get what you can get for free! most of the older people head to the club? on pension day WE ALL HAVE to pay our way and stop complaining! 

Dudley
Dudley from QLD commented:

With regard to those who have 10 or more GP visits a year (+ pathology, X rays etc), did I not hear that the govt planned to cap the number of times a patient had to pay the surcharge? 

Karen
Karen from NSW replied to Dudley:

I heard that too Dudley and that pensioners would be given a $70 payment effectively rendering the $7 co-payment for 10 'events' (doctor visit, blood test etc) financially neutral. That only leaves the rise in prescription charges which are already and still will be significantly cheaper for pensioners than the general public. 

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