I think everyone is aware of the discussions on Medicare and free health-care being eroded in Australia.
Examples of some key talking points:
- GPs that were bulk billing are now moving to full fee or mixed billing.
- Increased calls for standard dental to be added to Medicare
- Mental health consults requiring more time and specialists vs GPs
- Patients going directly to Emergency
- Health checks declining due to cost of visits being a deterrent
Etc
Given these and any others you may comment, would you support an increase in the Medicare Levy?
There has been some modelling with specific increase but let's just say it's an increase anywhere from 0.5% to 3%.
Poll options are limited but would also be interested in comments for who would prefer a progressive increase as well etc.
Note: there are debate points on Private Health Insurance subsidies, junk policies and applying the Medicare Levy Surcharge but I'd like to leave that out of the poll.
Please do add comments if you have any thoughts (e.g. paying the surcharge instead of getting a junk policy and preferring an overall increase to the Levy instead of the requirements for PHI).
Everyone should pay a part of the cost of going to the GP to reduce over-servicing and ensure people only go with legitimate reasons.
That cost should be small and affordable for everyone, but the service should not be "free".