Is the GP Co-payment dead, or is it just resting?
Here at the FiftyUp Club, we’ve been banging on about healthcare costs for the over-50s all year.
Never more so than when Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey announced plans for a $7 co-payment every time we visit the GP, X-ray or pathologist as part of the Budget earlier this year.
It’s been nearly three months since we travelled to Canberra to meet with the Federal Health Minister on behalf of the Club’s members.
More than 10,000 of you added your voice to Our Submission to Minister Dutton.
So what’s happened since?
Good news is, the Federal Government’s proposal has stalled and we sure hope it stays that way.
Reluctantly the Government put the measure on ‘hold’ as they don’t have the numbers to pass it through the Senate.
The official line from the Government is that they “are still committed to the measure.”
So whilst they haven’t entirely backed down, for the time being at least, it looks like you won’t be paying $7 every time you visit your GP.
Further, I have it from reliable sources in Canberra that it’s as good as dead. Read: too much political pain for too little electoral or fiscal gain.
That’s a huge win for the Club and for each one of you.
On top of our submission, more than 13,000 of you signed our petition calling for greater transparency on the rising cost of private health insurance for FiftyUps.
We made our stance loud and clear when we asked Mr Dutton to publish figures on premium increases by age band, and to reduce the impact of co-payments on Australians aged 50 and over, particularly those on fixed incomes.
To his credit, Mr Dutton gave us a fair hearing. Ours was not the only disenchanted voice.
The sheer weight of numbers has forced a re-evaluation of a universally condemned measure to raise revenue.
It wouldn’t be right for us at the FiftyUp Club to take sole credit for the backdown, but boy, did we add pressure!
Thank you members for your increasing support. And thank you Victoria for jumping on… we now have more than 10,000 of you joined up in less than two weeks.
Victorians have now unlocked deals on Electricity, Car and Health Insurance like the rest of us. And it won’t stop there.
We’ve already filled at least an MCG on Grand Final Day. Politicians and Corporate Australia have realised they ignore that voice at their peril. And we’re barely a year old.
Keep getting on the train. This ride to improve our spending power has only just begun
CLICK HERE to send a Thankyou email to Health Minister Peter Dutton
