Libs launch $19m health campaign: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 30 Apr 2007: 2.
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Abstract
Health Minister Tony Abbot said private health products had been a “nightmare” for consumers. He said the system needed to be clearer and more transparent. “As the population ages and demands on the health system increase, a strong private sector is needed to complement the public health system,” he said.
“When one in three Australians are going without health care because they can’t afford it, it’s unacceptable for the Government to be spending this type of money on a politically timed advertising campaign,” she said.
Full Text
NEW laws allowing private health insurance funds to cover at- home treatments, including chemotherapy and kidney dialysis, are to be heavily promoted in a $19million media campaign by the Howard Government.
The reforms also remove penalties for people who joined a fund after the age of 30 but have remained members for more than 10 years.
Thousands of uninsured Australians, including new migrants, will receive a letter alerting them that loadings apply after their 31st birthday.
The campaign, launched yesterday, was welcomed by medical funds but slammed by opponents of the government’s private health policies.
Health Minister Tony Abbot said private health products had been a “nightmare” for consumers. He said the system needed to be clearer and more transparent. “As the population ages and demands on the health system increase, a strong private sector is needed to complement the public health system,” he said.
“The more people who have private health cover, the better it is for everyone.”
Opposition Health spokeswoman Nicola Roxon questioned whether sending letters to uninsured people was a breach of privacy laws and criticised thecampaign as a waste of $19million of taxpayers’ money.
“When one in three Australians are going without health care because they can’t afford it, it’s unacceptable for the Government to be spending this type of money on a politically timed advertising campaign,” she said.
President of the Doctors’ Reform Society Tim Woodruff said the Howard government was already spending $3.2billion a year on rebates and this represented taxes being spent on people who didn’t need the money.