Green Lantern wrote:
> "Sir John Howard" <sirjohnhoward@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:d65d0bf7-73b2-47fa-ae99-283f5910f20a@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Medicare windfall will see some save $1500
> >
> > http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,23674310-462,00.html
> >
> > MORE than one million Australians will be eligible for a windfall of
> > up to $1500 under a Rudd Government decision to revise the Medicare
> > surcharge.
> >
> > Treasurer Wayne Swan will unveil the overhaul in Tuesday's Budget, the
> > Herald Sun has reported.
> >
> > Singles will be able to earn $100,000 before they have to pay the 1
> > per cent surcharge on their salaries - up from $50,000. Couples will
> > be able to earn $150,000 - up from $100,000 - before they are slugged.
> >
> > It is the first time the surcharge has been overhauled since it was
> > introduced by the Howard government in 1997. It was designed to
> > penalise high-income earners without private medical insurance.
> >
> > But Treasurer Wayne Swan last night said that as wages rose over the
> > past decade, the surcharge had penalised working families.
> >
> > "The thresholds are catching more and more people on average incomes
> > in the net each year, slugging them hundreds of dollars," he said.
> >
> > "Hard-working families have really been put in a classic rock-and-a-
> > hard-place position on this issue. Either they sign up for what can be
> > expensive private coverage, or the surcharge takes 1 per cent out of
> > their income every year."
> >
> > It is estimated 1.2 million single Australians earn between $50,000
> > and $100,000. Another 600,000 couples have a combined taxable income
> > between $100,000 and $150,000.
> >
> > Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Labor flagged the surcharge shake-up
> > while in opposition. The surcharge has raised more than $1 billion
> > since it was introduced 11 years ago.
> >
> > At the time the average wage was $36,000 and a person on $50,000 was
> > considered a high-income earner. Eleven years later, the average male
> > wage has climbed above $55,000.
> >
> > Lifting of the thresholds is likely to encourage many Australians to
> > drop private health cover.
> >
> > The decision will spark debate over its possible effect on the take-up
> > of private health insurance and the effects on premiums and the public
> > hospital system.
> >
> > The previous government adopted a carrot and stick approach to private
> > health cover - giving those who took insurance a 30 per cent rebate,
> > and hitting those who didn't with the levy.
> >
> > Private health cover has stabilised in recent years with 10 million
> > Australians covered by private health insurance. But insurance
> > premiums have risen well above the inflation rate.
> >
> > Singles pay between $600 and $1800 a year for private cover, while
> > families shell out between $1200 and $4000, even after the 30 per cent
> > rebate is taken into account.
>
> Nicola Rocks Off dropped the ball on health premium increases; so the
Govt
> is going into damage control.
Yep. She's a typical leftie retard.
> It may prove to be a good negotiating tactic
> for next year. If health funds are contemplating further massive
increases,
> they'll also have to contemplate the terrible consequences of a further
> increase in the Medicare threshold.
|
