5 years ago
WHAT’S THE PLAN MINISTER HUNT?
CHRIS BOWEN MP
It was only ten days ago that the Health Minister was arrogantly claiming ‘job done’ on private health insurance reform after a Grattan report highlighted the desperate need for an inquiry into the sector.
At the time, the Minister responded by claiming he’d accomplished the “most significant reforms to private health insurance in over a decade” but now after an intense fortnight of media and public scrutiny on the issue it appears Mr Hunt is admitting his inaction, rebranding his ‘job done’ to ‘I’ve got a plan’.
The plan as set out in today’s Sydney Morning Herald says the “review” aims to reduce premiums and reverse a membership decline, but entirely neglects to outline what the review plan actually is. Conveniently Mr Hunt also fails to mention that health insurance premiums have risen by 30 per cent under the Liberals.
If the Minister is looking for a plan for a review, the best and easiest way of addressing the crisis in private health insurance is to adopt the Productivity Commission inquiry into the sector that Labor took to the 2019 election.
It’s past time this Liberal Government addressed health concerns for Australians across the board, because under their watch out of pocket costs have never been higher, and waiting lists have never been longer.
At the time, the Minister responded by claiming he’d accomplished the “most significant reforms to private health insurance in over a decade” but now after an intense fortnight of media and public scrutiny on the issue it appears Mr Hunt is admitting his inaction, rebranding his ‘job done’ to ‘I’ve got a plan’.
The plan as set out in today’s Sydney Morning Herald says the “review” aims to reduce premiums and reverse a membership decline, but entirely neglects to outline what the review plan actually is. Conveniently Mr Hunt also fails to mention that health insurance premiums have risen by 30 per cent under the Liberals.
If the Minister is looking for a plan for a review, the best and easiest way of addressing the crisis in private health insurance is to adopt the Productivity Commission inquiry into the sector that Labor took to the 2019 election.
It’s past time this Liberal Government addressed health concerns for Australians across the board, because under their watch out of pocket costs have never been higher, and waiting lists have never been longer.