TURNBULL’S HEALTH INSURANCE CRISIS

Evidence that Australians battling serious illness are being hit with shocking out of pocket expenses is more proof that Turnbull needs to act on his private health insurance crisis.

 

Today’s Consumer’s Health Forum report reveals that one in four Australians going through treatment for breast cancer and one in three with a chronic condition such as multiple sclerosis experienced out-of-pocket costs of more than $10,000.

 

Pensioners and single mothers skipping the health care they need because they can’t afford it - this is Australia’s health under Turnbull.

 

Australians spending years paying for health insurance only to be hit with medical bills of thousands of dollars when they are at their most vulnerable - this is Australia’s health under Turnbull.

 

The report also highlights the real-world impact of Turnbull’s failure to drop his freeze on Medicare rebates – with the Australian Medical Association President Michael Gannon, pointing to the Liberals’ freeze on Medicare rebates as the biggest contributor to the growth of out-of-pocket costs in the past five years.

 

Significantly, the report endorses Labor’s move to task the productivity commission with the first review of private health insurance in 20 years – something the Consumers’ Health Forum have consistently advocated for:

 

A Shorten Labor Government will also cap private health premiums at 2% for the first two years of government to give Australians immediate hip pocket relief. 

 

At the same time as Australians are struggling with medical expenses and being caught out by health insurance gaps Turnbull continues to defend the big insurers and protect their profits.

 

Today’s report is more proof that Turnbull’s failure to stand up to private health insurers is putting pressure on not only the budgets of Australians - but on the health of Australians.