The Doctors Reform Society said today that the 30% private health insurance rebate has been a disastrous and costly failure.

"Even if 100,000 extra people have joined health funds in the last 3 months, each new member of a private health fund has cost the tax-payer $14,000 each, said Dr Con Costa, President of the Doctors Reform Society.

" This is because the total health rebate has cost the tax-payer $1.4 billion per year" said Dr Costa.

"How many people have only taken out insurance cover for dental or other non-hospital care?" asked Dr Costa.

" The 30% health insurance rebate scheme is a scandalous, ideologically driven waste of $1.4 billion that should have been used to end all public hospital waiting lists throughout Australia. The 30% rebate is clearly a shot in the arm for those who don’t need it from those who do" said Dr Costa.

30 April, 1999

Dr Con Costa
National President DRS