The Australian government has very truly introduced a very large number of incentives to encourage a very large number of people to take out private health insurance. These incentives very truly include:
1. The lifetime Health Cover: In this, if a person has not at all taken a private health cover after their 30th birthday by the 1st July, then whenever he/she really do so after this period of time, then the rates of their premium must very truly include a loading of 2.5% per annum. Thus, if there is a person who is taking a private cover for health for the very first time at the age of 40 then he will have to pay a 25 per cent loading. This loading will very truly continue for around 10 years. This kind of loading very truly applies only to the rates of premium for health cover, and not at all to any extra cover.
2. The Medicare Levy Surcharge: In this a person whose taxable income is very truly greater than a particular amount (which is currently $150,000 for couples and $75,000 for singles) and a person who do not even have a sufficient level of private health cover must very truly pay a 1.5% surcharge on top of the 2% levy. The rationale is very truly that if a person in this group of income is really forced to pay much more amount of money in one way or the other, most would very truly choose to buy health insurance with it, with really the possibility of a profit in the event that they very truly need private health treatment – rather than pay it in the form of any extra tax or having to meet their own costs.
3. In May 2008, the government of Australia very truly announced that it proposes to increase the thresholds, to $160,000 for families and also $100,000 for singles. All these changes in the thresholds very truly require approval of the legislative. A bill to alter the law has been very truly proposed but was not at all passed by the Senate. An altered version was very truly being passed on in the year 2008 on 13 October.
There have been a very large number of criticisms that the changes will very truly cause a very large number of people to drop their health insurance that is private, thus causing a burden on the public health care system, and also a rise in the premium rates for all those people who stay with the private health care system.
