DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY

Media Release

Thursday, 3 March 2005

HEALTH INSURANCE RISE DOUBLE BLOW FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS

“The 8% private health insurance (PHI) rise means that all Australians who need public hospital care will see another $200 million per year of their taxes spent propping up the inefficient and expensive private health industry through the PHI rebate,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society, “and that’s on top of the $200 a week slug to those who can afford private health insurance.” 

“In emergencies it is public hospitals which save lives,” said Dr Woodruff, “but the Federal Government is not giving 8% more per year to fund the public system, and as these hospitals struggle, patients lives are put at risk.”

“Tony Abbott last week described his personal experience of how stressful paying for private health care was and how it had brought him out ‘in a cold sweat’”, said Dr Woodruff. “It’s time he experienced lying on a trolley for 24 hours in an emergency department of a public hospital. Then perhaps he would approve an 8% yearly increase in public hospital funding.”

Dr Tim Woodruff

President

Doctors Reform Society

Dr Con Costa

Vice President

Doctors Reform Society