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NewsFiftyUps Dish up Menu for Dutton & Palmer Dinner Date
FiftyUps Dish up Menu for Dutton & Palmer Dinner Date

FiftyUps Dish up Menu for Dutton & Palmer Dinner Date

Tags: Consumer Action
Last updated by Jess Lindell on

FIftyUp The FiftyUp Club is today calling on both the Government and the Senate crossbenchers to reduce the impact of co-payments for Australians aged over 50, particularly for pensioners.

As Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton and Crossbencher Clive Palmer sit down for dinner this evening, the 92,000-member consumer Club suggests they sample the following three specials from our submission to Minister Dutton:

  • Entrée: More than two-thirds of FiftyUps say the health system is currently unsustainable and they are prepared to contribute a small amount to their own health care costs if it helps balance the Federal Budget, but
  • Main: 30% of older Australians say GP co-payments will force them to avoid the doctor when sick, or go to hospital instead, and
  • Dessert: 40% say co-payments and Health Insurance prices are a deal-breaker and likely to change how they vote at the next election.

More than 11,000 Australians aged over 50 lovingly helped to prepare the submission, which contains a comprehensive recipe for managing the politics of healthcare and older Australians.

FiftyUp Club Chairman John Mangos then dished up the submission last week in Canberra to Minister Dutton, who promised to give it a thorough critical review.

“We welcome this latest round of ‘fruitful’ negotiations and today extend the same request we delivered to Mr Dutton last week to the Crossbench,“ said John Mangos.

“This is a political deal-breaker for many older Australians. Whatever is on the menu tonight, all sides of politics need to provide some relief on Co-Payments.”

The FiftyUp Club is a consumer club for Australians aged 50 and over with more than 92,000 members nationally.

A full copy of the FiftyUp Club’s submission is available Here.

Originally posted on .

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FiftyUps Dish up Menu for Dutton & Palmer Dinner Date

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jenny
jenny from QLD commented:

all pensioners.people with disability,and children under 16 should be exempt from co-payment-also why if you choose to have your preferred brand of script (other than generic offered) should you have to pay $2.00-and why have they reduced the pkt from 30 to 28 !! for the same price !!-does the remaining 28 carry the same volume of medication ? doesn't gel for me. 

eileen
eileen from QLD commented:

We hear all about the "talks"between the power players. I have seen no data about how much it will cost to set up a new system/department to collect, monitor and check for rorts. From previous observation most of he money collected will be spent in administrating the system. Surely the faintest, least costly option would be to increase the Medicare levy. 

Pamela
Pamela from NSW commented:

I agree with pensioners paying the copayment, we get so much subsidised by the poor tax payers, that small amount is affordable, plus the visits to the doctor may be less, but lots of the present visits expect the doctor to heal "old age" , which can be painful, but compare to the pain suffered by lots of humans is really nothing a little common sense would heal, you don't need a medical degree. 

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