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NewsBREAKING: GP Co-payments are going, going, gone
BREAKING: GP Co-payments are going, going, gone

BREAKING: GP Co-payments are going, going, gone

Tags: Cost of Living Private Health Insurance FiftyUp Club News Sticking Up for FiftyUps
Last updated by Joel Gibson on

GP-copaymentCongratulations, members. You did it!

There are front-page reports today (pictured) confirming what many suspected – that the Federal Government has heeded the concerns of the FiftyUp Club and other groups and shelved its plans for GP co-payments.[1]

CLICK HERE to send a Thankyou email to Health Minister Peter Dutton

As you’ll recall, FiftyUp Club Chairman John Mangos met with Health Minister Peter Dutton in Canberra in August to present the results of a 11,000-member survey on healthcare costs.

The survey showed deep anxiety among over-50s about the soaring costs of keeping well, particularly the impact of co-payments on older Australians and rising health insurance premiums.

Mr Dutton listened to our members’ concerns on co-payments and has now acted with his fellow cabinet ministers to shelve the plans, according to reports today and yesterday.

The apparent backdown on co-payments is a huge win for our members and for all older Australians.

According to member polls, FiftyUp Club members are supportive of reform but are doing it tough, and felt they were being asked to shoulder more than their fair share.

The FiftyUp Club’s healthcare costs survey showed the co-payment plans were a political deal-breaker for many older Australians.

More than two-thirds of FiftyUps surveyed believe the health system is currently unsustainable and are prepared to contribute to reforming it.

However, 30% said the proposed co-payments would force them to avoid the doctor when sick, or go to hospital instead, and could change how they vote.

This result shows the real political power of FiftyUps when they do work together to make their voice heard to policymakers and businesses.

CLICK HERE to send a Thankyou email to Health Minister Peter Dutton

[1] “Federal government to shelve $7 GP co-payment policy”, http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/federal-government-to-shelve-7-gp-copayment-policy-20141126-11ul0w.html

Originally posted on .

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BREAKING: GP Co-payments are going, going, gone

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Alain
Alain from NSW commented:

'Bob' Hughes should, of course, read 'Billy' Hughes 

Ann
Ann from NSW commented:

Reading through the comments I'm a little confused-- Is it the Fifty Up Club or the Alain from NSW soapbox ? 

Warren
Warren from NSW replied to Ann:

Agreed Ann - I get lost reading more than his first sentences each time as invariably it makes no sense - ramblings and illogical thought construction. 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Ann:

It is fairly obvious, Ann, there will always be people on the far right of politics, like were, for example the Japanese, the Italians or the Germans during the 2nd WW (or even us, before that wartime period, does the Name Bob Hughes ring the bell? His ideas having been the cause of many an ill in Australia, would the Japanese have bombed Darwin if Hughes had not been so antagonistic with the Japanese? We will never know, of course). Some among us -less and less, it must be added- are very fond of Abbott and his team of obnoxious ministers and their policies (or attempts at creating policies to take from the poorest in our country to give to the better-offs, more like 'ideologies', really, as always with the far right of politics...), so goes the planet... Only 22 months to go and we will be given a chance at removing this dangerous bunch from the helm of ship Australia, Ann, I cannot wait... 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Alain:

*'Billy' Hughes, not 'Bob' Hughes, of course... Sorry for any inconveniences. 

Ann
Ann from NSW replied to Alain:

Alain, I had found you and your views pretty obnoxious but you really outdid yourself with your reply !!! As my father died as a Japanese POW in Sandakan, I'm entitled to feel outraged at the mouthfuls of spite, bile and drivel that you keep spitting out. Were YOUR relatives part of the brave and noble unions , the wharfies who went on strike and refused to load supplies for our soldiers ? I wish you'd brush up on your history and facts before you start running off at the mouth....please go away ! I don't intend to debate politics with a moron. Ann Fowler 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Ann:

Which Ann? 

Ann
Ann from NSW replied to Alain:

What do you mean " which Ann " ? I wouldn't think there should be much doubt, considering that I use my full name, which YOU don't. 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Alain:

That same Ann who calls me "the Alain"? With all respect, you have better go back to your history books, Ann (especially when one has a father who died at the hands of the Japanese, but it is never too late to learn)... Not agreeing with your political views doesn't mean that I am "obnoxious" or "alien" as Warren put it here, we are just in different camps, and watching the treatment of refugees tonight on ABC by our successive governments, I feel a lot more human than most of you lot... 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Alain:

What would be nice to the hosts (and readers), herein, would be to keep to the topic of the proposed MEDICARE CO-PAYMENT, the subject of FiftyPlus's thread... Alain aka 'the moron' 

Ann
Ann from NSW commented:

I'm appalled that you are congratulating yourselves about the dropping of the GP co -payment . A miserable $7 or $70 per year ! You can't be serious. I see people having manicures and,pedicures, drinking smoking and poking $50 bills through pokies and NOBODY does without their mobile phones. Talk about stupidity and greed ! The age of entitlement is alive and well and you should be embarrassed to have espoused this cause. Australia cannot afford medicare in it's current form. Ann Fowler 

Alain
Alain from NSW commented:

The real problem, source of all Medicare's problems? The government is incapable of negotiating, is incompetent at negotiating a 'value for money' price on medications listed (or not) as PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme), so they want you to subsidize the -enormous- difference which will, yes, will see their budget in the red over time (unless the government dares to TAX the wealthy, including the multinational tax dodgers, eBay, Google, Apple, Etc...). We pay a Medicare Levy already and pay a large amount of taxes (GST, Stamp duties, etc...). Also, and in a different register, if the 30% company tax is not enough, let's increase it (but let's also create the 'companies' which will give a future to Australia, and it seems that the government lacks vision in that domain)... We pay far too much for everything in Australia, take the cost of managing your super (Is it four times what they pay in the UK?), this country with this government is ABOUT PROFIT BEFORE PEOPLE, is about CARTELS, MONOPOLIES, DUOPOLIES, TRIOPOLIES, QUADRIPOLIES, OLIGOPOLIES, COLLUSIONS, ETC... LET LOOSE... When will the pollies do their job. please? With the amount of money they make, themselves (in a very short time..) they should be elected to PERFORM... 

warren
warren from NSW commented:

The co-payment policy is a necessary price signal to ensure the affordability of our eminent medical system is sustainable well into the future. Remember, the addition of the NDIS is a ‘health’ function that clearly is unfunded going forward. The onus is on the current Government to sell the policy better than it has, and an Opposition to provide input rather than objections, to clear it through the Senate. I fear commonsense on this issue is lost though. 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to warren:

Can we, please, put a different price on that 'signal' Warren seems to like, like 50 cents, or a dollar? Why a Medicare levy? Why pay taxes? Why not take the money, the txes where it is? Sick and tired of helping the rich at getting richer (the poor poorer) as proven by the stats... 

warren
warren from NSW replied to Alain:

No, and your question does not make any sense Alien. I provided a valid comment and you've wandered into Micheal Jackson’s neverland again! Get real. 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to warren:

Neverland only exists in your dreams, Warren, the FACTS I base my commentary upon are REAL, can be verified, are substantiated. You must belong to that 'rich clan' I refer to & you defend, Warren. And enough LIES, at the end of the day, lies BEFORE the elections and LIES AFTER the elections, we have been deceived, are being deceived, still, and 'we' is also 'YOU'. 

warren
warren from NSW replied to Alain:

What are you on? 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to warren:

I am on a HIGH, yes, after the results of the Victorian election... Common sense is a powerful drug. 

Darrell
Darrell from NSW commented:

I feel that over so many years of paying tax for other peoples misfortunes they have brought on themselves including the obsessive unlawful conduct of this government, it's time to say NO and "enough is enough" and to STOP exploiting what is left of the working class (people) of this country and give them a fair go! FACTS state that by allowing these "co-payments", which would possibly and ultimately be unregulated - loose into our society would only create more chaos in our already understaffed and over crowded hospitals. It's all to well to sit back on some sunny beach, drinking fine wine and thinking about what a good job you did to get this far! but in hindsight you betrayed all the people that trusted you for the sake of $120,000.00 PLUS per year TAX PAYER FUNDED retirement and self recognition. 

Alain
Alain from NSW commented:

Victorian elections, or the result of Abbott's and his accomplices' politic (including the dreaded 'co-payment'...) on our Victorian friends! WELL DONE VICTORIANS! The result of The Greens in the seat of Melbourne is gobsmacking... 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Alain:

.../... and a second seat won from the Libs, today, in Prahran, WELL DONE The Greens!!! 

Diane
Diane from NSW commented:

Don't get ahead of yourselves...As a pensioner I agree to the $7 payment. The days of others paying our way are over. 

Alain
Alain from NSW commented:

.../... & to come back to something a bit more Australian and most importantly to keep on track with the thread ('that' co-payment), here it is, from the mouth of (and I could not have said it better myself...) Rexownzya, himself: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rexownzya?src_vid=eLEx-cf6Jdw&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_2063231885 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, AUSTRALIA ! 

Alain
Alain from NSW commented:

If you think that I am "throwing stones" on this superb platform (Thanking fiftyup club in the process, it was well overdue the creation of such a clever platform...) watch this one, and sorry, yes this is our PM as seen across the Pacific Ocean by some medias (A word of warning, some language could offend some readers): http://www.trueactivist.com/neocons-around-the-world-introducing-australias-leader/ 

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