Additional Comments
By Senator Rachel Siewert, the Australian Greens
Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009
Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentive (Medicare
Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009
Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy
Surcharge – Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009
The Australian Greens
recognise that these Bills introduce a measure of equity into the private
health insurance rebate, through the Private Health Insurance Tiers by means
testing the private health insurance rebate. However, the Greens do not support
the private health insurance rebate system, believing that these significant
funds would be better spent in the under-resources public health system.
Notwithstanding these concerns, the Greens are broadly supportive of the new
tiered rebate which will ensure that the rebates are better targeted to those
on lower incomes.
Furthermore, the Greens
believe that the Medicare Levy Surcharge is an unfair and inappropriate
mechanism to force people to take out private health insurance. While once
again, we acknowledge that these Bills introduce a tiered scheme of levies
which are related to income level, the Greens are opposed to the levy surcharge
in principle. Private health insurance should be a matter of personal choice
to be made with neither incentives nor compulsion. We are concerned that the
private health insurance rebate operates as a government subsidy for the health
insurance industry, removing the need for the industry to develop products
which are attractive to a full range of customers. In general, it is the view
of the Australian Greens that the private health insurance rebate has a
detrimental effect on both the public health system and the health insurance
industry.
Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens
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