this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
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[–] Joshi@aussie.zone 17 points 2 days ago

It's kind of like providing a highly expensive, and logistically complex service requiring recruitment and retention of highly skilled professionals to provide an essential service to people who can't possibly pay for it is not suited to privatization.

20/20 hindsight I guess :/

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 40 points 2 days ago (4 children)

What we need to to dump the government extortion that is the Medicare Levy Surcharge and the Lifetime Health Cover loading scam.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It doesn't feel like an exaggeration to call it extortion either.

If you maintain the cheapest qualifying policy you are almost guaranteed to be paying for something of such little value that you will never choose to use it. Nobody benefits other than health insurance hareholders.

One of a large number of social, economic and environmental injustices that the ALP should fix but will not. They have the numbers. It's a rare opportunity.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 8 points 1 day ago

Precisely. Now is precisely the time for Labor to do some bold progressive changes. Like fixing this extortion. Like dental and mental health into Medicare.

But I'm not holding my breath.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 21 points 2 days ago

Yep, exactly this. Force everyone to use Medicare so there's no political incentive to gut it instead of a two tiered system.

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

It seems they are designed to funnel you into the arms of corporations. I've read that enough youth are just taking the surcharge and loading on the chin that insurers have started to worry. I've considered it--the value for money of private insurance is not great.

[–] Mountaineer@aussie.zone 4 points 1 day ago

I've read that enough youth are just taking the surcharge and loading on the chin that insurers have started to worry.

I'm not young, but I'm doing this.
My tiny ideological stand.

[–] sqgl@beehaw.org 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Perhaps instead of Medicare Levy they should call it Medicare Insurance.

[–] Eyekaytee@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

yeah like I get why I'm paying for it (I'm in a higher earning bracket and health services cost a fuckload)

I couldn't see a reason to go private and every year the gov tacks on a bigger disincentive so medicare levy it is for me

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 15 points 2 days ago

And then ban health insurers from using the public healthcare network.