"News that the cost of the Federal Government's private health insurance rebate has reached $2 billion dollars is sad news for public health in Australia" claims Doctors Reform Society president , Dr Peter Davoren.

"This rebate has had only a marginal impact on private health fund memberships, no impact on the demand for public health services and is destined to cost the Australian taxpayers even more over the next few years as private health fund premiums continue to rise well above the rate of inflation" said Dr Davoren.

"Universal health coverage through the Medicare system has been supported at the ballot box for a generation. $2 billion dollars would fund over 15 extra 500 bed public hospitals. Health spending should be spent on health and not on providing a cash rebate to those generally on higher incomes" said Dr Davoren.

"The real cost of the Federal Government's private health insurance subsidy blow-out will be born by patients who will suffer and even die on public hospital waiting lists" said Dr Con Costa, National Vice President of the Doctors Reform Society.

" Public hospital waiting lists around Australia could have been halved if the money that is being wasted on the private health insurance blow-out had been spent on public hospitals" said Dr Costa.

8 February, 2000
Dr Peter Davoren
Dr Con Costa

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