[Greens-Media] Medicare – 30 years old and fighting for its life: Greens

[Blyberg, Andrew (Sen R. Di Natale)]

Media Release

Dr Richard Di Natale
Acting Leader of the Australian Greens

01/02/2014

Medicare – 30 years old and fighting for its life: Greens

Australian Greens health spokesperson, Dr Richard Di Natale, warned that today on Medicare’s 30th birthday, it has never been more in danger.

“Today we celebrate the birthday of Medicare, one of Australia’s greatest public policy success stories,” said Senator Di Natale. “For 30 years Medicare has helped to keep all Australians healthy, no matter what their bank balance was or whether they had a chronic illness.

“Now, just like the movie Logan’s Run, Medicare has turned 30 and now the government’s ‘sandmen’ are coming to terminate it. The Coalition has never supported Medicare and now it’s trying to cripple it while pretending to make it stronger. 

“Considering mandatory co-payments for GP visits and allowing private insurers to cover co-payments is about undermining the very foundation of Medicare – equal and universal access. 

“The truth is that this reckless and brutal government wants to put Australia on the fast track towards a two-tiered American-style health system, where you can only get decent healthcare if you can afford private health insurance.

“Undermining Medicare and going down the American path is truly bonkers because not only will it deliver worse care, it will end up costing much more. The USA spends approximately double what Australia does, as a proportion of GDP, yet it yields worse health outcomes on almost any measure.

“You have to ask why any sensible government would want to destroy Medicare in favour of an American-style system. The answer is that this government is driven by ideology rather than common-sense. 

“The Greens want see more money invested in Medicare and we will always fight to protect it.” 

Media Contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600