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NewsThe Health Minister has heard you, loud and clear
The Health Minister has heard you, loud and clear

The Health Minister has heard you, loud and clear

Tags: Cost of Living Insurance
Last updated by John Mangos on

John MangosCall it a rite of passage or a coming of age, but the FiftyUp Club has reached a significant milestone.

We sat down with the Federal Health Minister, Peter Dutton, to deliver your message in Canberra this week … and he listened.

The Minister warmly welcomed me and my FiftyUp Club Colleague Jess Lindell into his office and he treated your submission with respect.

Together we went through your overwhelming response to the Federal Budget and called on the Minister to reduce the impact of co-payments on Australians aged over 50, particularly for pensioners on fixed incomes.

We also asked the Minister to strengthen the disclosure requirements of private health insurers, so that we can see premium increases by age brackets in the annual round of price rises. The full submission is available here.

The Club talked. He listened.

Then he promised to review your submission more closely and provide us all with a formal reply.

But barely hours after our cordial and respectful talks, the Minister went public to talk compromise with regard to the $7 co-payment proposal.

He repeated in public what he had earlier told us in private – that is, he is prepared to compromise on the co-payment.

This is what Seven News Canberra Political Editor Mark Riley put to air that night, with the Minister saying: “If people have sensible suggestions to make, we’re happy to consider those”.

Thank you Minister.

That was precisely what we had just done.

Riley’s story also quoted the FiftyUp Club’s 11,000-member submission.

Riley called it a “pragmatic retreat from a hardline budget”, and he is right.

I reckon Mr Dutton took on board the 11,000 voices of our 91,000 members in our health care costs survey.

Yes, he does comprehend that more than two-thirds of us FiftyUps believe the system is unsustainable and are prepared to contribute a small amount to our own health care costs if it helps balance the Federal Budget.

But he listened when we showed him that 30% of you say GP co-payments would force you to avoid the doctor when sick, or go to hospital instead.

And 40% say co-payments and Health Insurance prices are likely to change how you vote at the next election.  Ouch, by any party’s language.

Thank you members for your feedback, and thank you Minister for your time and your offer to respond formally.

We know the structure of the Senate complicates the equation going forward. But new Senators must know it is we FiftyUps who pay the bills.

FiftyUps, we are the voice.

Originally posted on .

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The Health Minister has heard you, loud and clear

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David
David from NSW commented:

I am glad to here that the health minister listened to our concerns. I just hope that he does something about it other than listen! 

Someone
Someone from QLD commented:

My wife is a transplant recipient and is need of on going medication to stay alive why cant essential medications be discounted after all if she was on the doll she would be paying next to nothing for the same thing.She was one of the youngest at the time to have a kidney transplant many years ago yet she is still paying the price all life essential medications should be discounted. 

Rodney
Rodney from QLD commented:

Hey guys, well done. There's no point in sitting by and whinging; if you want change you have to provoke it. I'd like to suggest, given the makeup (and characteristics of certain members) that you invite Senators to consider a summary of our submission to the Minister and seek their assistance when the Government brings changes forward to the Senate. 

Bernd
Bernd from QLD commented:

John, thanks for making us heard but it is not the ability of pensioners and low income earners to make the $7.00 co-payment that the Minister heard. It was that 40% of us would not vote again for this Government. 

Brian
Brian from QLD commented:

Thank you John. It's great that at last we oldies have a voice & that someone is listening. Brian Wright 

Glenn
Glenn from NSW commented:

Good effort brings good results, thanks to all for considerations and positive comments. Glenn Tiley. 9/8/14 

Wavell
Wavell from QLD commented:

The co-payment issue is obviously a strain on some however I visit my GP once per month but my Chemist 4 times per month. The Chemist PBS co-payment costs me $24.00 and the proposed co-payment might cost me $7.00. Where were all the complaints when the PBS was introduced? 

Neil
Neil from QLD commented:

As my current gp is closing his practice ,I will have no choice but to use a non bulk billing practice ,this will cost me approx 25 percent of my weekly budget 

Neil
Neil from QLD commented:

Have to agree with Les,this Government ,are clearly paniced by the reaction of the public and will say anything to placate them 

Margaret
Margaret from NSW commented:

Thanks John for your efforts. Maybe Les should think again re his comments, on 'sick tax' the Government has to deal with a hostile Senate who won't allow any reasonable legislation to be passed. I do believe there should be a co-payment and agree with Carole who suggests a cut off point. We can't keep expecting everything for free. Sure the politicians should also cut their 'perks'. 

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