Older Australians weigh dropping private health insurance over rebate cuts
Coalition concerns grow as proposed changes to rebates push seniors toward abandoning coverage.
What to know
- Proposed rebate changes are prompting older Australians to drop private health insurance, raising affordability concerns for retirees on fixed incomes.
- The Coalition worries the exodus will overload the public health system.
- Online discussion reveals broader dissatisfaction with Australia's two-tier system and criticism of income-based pricing in private insurance.
The dispute Whether older Australians are a wealthy generation pulling up the ladder behind them, or a vulnerable cohort struggling with fixed pension incomes to afford necessary insurance. · positions read across 15 posts and comments
Rebate cuts harm vulnerable retirees on fixed incomes who genuinely cannot afford private insurance.
-
“Not all boomers are rich. There's still many seniors who are paying for PHI out of the age pension like my mum is. The age pension is not a lot.”
universe93 · Reddit
Australia's system is designed to push citizens toward private insurance; the public system should be properly funded instead.
-
“We should all be on the public system and the public system should be funded appropriately. You shouldn't need private insurance to be seen to.”
BillieRubenCamGirl · Reddit ↗
Private insurers use unfair pricing practices, charging different rates based on income rather than actual medical cost.
-
“If you look at quotes for private health, they ask for your taxable income, and you get a different price depending on what you tell them. No fuck you. Its not income protection, its health cover.”
Svennis79 · Reddit
“If you look at quotes for private health, they ask for your taxable income, and you get a different price depending on what you tell them. No fuck you. Its not income protection, its health cover.”
Svennis79, Reddit commenter · Reddit
Coalition Opposition party
The record 5 articles and posts · last 27 days
- summary covers to here · Aug 30, 3:53 AM · 1 piece above arrived after
What people are saying 15 voices from 1 site · verbatim
- Aug 31
-
This is a good thing. Premiums should drop as its teh healthier and younger who are subsidising them.
- Aug 30
-
She sounds like an irascible, self-absorbed, self-victimising, other-blaming person. Her being a boomer probably had little to do with that, these things don't grow overnight past a certain age. Sorry you had to deal with that
-
Capability is also correct. the private system has worse health outcomes in general and lower trained & paid staff
-
so basically the government just redirects money to private corporations at the expense of Medicare. literally the goal.
-
Yep, entitled cyclist boomers, those that ride around the designated cycling Lane, blocking pedestrians and traffic, then they go to a cafe and a bitch about Young people.
-
Biggest component of it by far too, even when they break out carers payments and aged care into seperate parts:
-
Honestly good? We should all be on the public system and the public system should be funded appropriately. You shouldn’t need private insurance to be seen to.
-
The think that shits me the most. 40+ pom, used to nhs, so I pay the medicare levy, because private scammers don't need extra. If you liok at quotes for private health, they ask for your taxable income, and you get a different price depending on what you tell them. No fuck you. Its not income protection, its health cover. Income has 0 to do with…
-
I'm sorry for your mum but the generalisation of her generation is 100% accurate. The majority is very well off and pulled various ladders up behind them.
- Aug 29
-
Not all boomers are rich. There’s still many seniors who are paying for PHI out of the age pension like my mum is. The age pension is not a lot.
-
Then I'd be finding a different surgeon. If you can pay and there's clinical need they should provide the service. I suspect they may have a profit-sharing arrangement with their favourite private hospital.
-
My favourite one is how every single person has a 'choice' as a rational actor in the economy with all the agency in the world... right up until the point where the rent goes up or wages cut, and then, it is a force majeure event that was dictated by the Gods. lol which is it? Do people make choices or not? I don't care if people disagree or even…
-
And if you walk by a Coffee Club, all you see is a sea of Boomers and avocado toast They just don't want to work anymore
-
It’s by design. Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Countries far with far less money have better healthcare and don’t push their citizens into the private system.
-
Yeh stop going on holidays and being retired. Just go get a job it’s not that hard. We are all doing it