The Albanese government proposes removing the age-based top-up on private health insurance rebates for people aged 65 and over from April next year, saving $3 billion over four years for aged care. The Senate, with the opposition, the Greens and crossbenchers, knocked the bill off the agenda, and the Greens want pensioners excluded from its scope. Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced the bill in the House of Representatives, where its future is unclear as negotiations with the Greens continue. Independent MP Monique Ryan, citing a Parliamentary Budget Office analysis, says half the savings would come from older Australians least able to afford them. She accuses the government of hiding the impact by citing 44,000 people who might drop cover, while the Health Department estimates closer to 80,000.
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- Michelle Grattan | Labor reintroduces health insurance rebate | Wellington Times
The Albanese government proposes removing age-based top-ups to the health insurance rebate for people aged 65 and over, starting from April next year, to save $3 billion over four years for aged care. The Senate voted to take the bill off the agenda after the opposition, Greens and crossbenchers opposed it, and the Greens want pensioners excluded as the price of passage. Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced the bill in the House of Representatives, but its future remains unclear as the government negotiates with the Greens. Independent MP Monique Ryan, citing a Parliamentary Budget Office analysis, argues that half the savings would come from older Australians least able to afford them. She says the Health Department estimates nearly 80,000 people may drop their cover, well above the 44,000 the government cited.
- Michelle Grattan | Labor reintroduces health insurance rebate | The Advocate
Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced the bill to remove the age-based top-ups on private health insurance rebates for people 65 and over, a measure the government says would save $3 billion over four years for aged care. After the opposition, Greens and crossbenchers voted it off the agenda in the Senate, the Greens want pensioners exempted as the price of passage. Independent Monique Ryan said Parliamentary Budget Office analysis showed half the savings would come from older Australians least able to afford them, and that the government had claimed 44,000 people might drop their cover, while the Health Department estimates the figure is closer to 80,000. Michelle Grattan notes the fight adds pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers as unemployment hit 4.7 per cent in September, a five-year high.
- Michelle Grattan | Labor reintroduces health insurance rebate | Camden Haven Courier
The government wants to remove the age-based top-ups to the private health insurance rebate from April next year, a measure it says would save $3 billion over four years and fund aged care. The opposition, the Greens and crossbench senators joined forces in the Senate to knock the bill off the agenda, and the Greens want pensioners excluded from it. Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced the bill in the House of Representatives on Thursday, but its future is unclear and negotiations with the Greens are expected in the coming weeks. Teal independent Monique Ryan, citing a Parliamentary Budget Office analysis she commissioned, says half the savings would come from the older Australians least able to afford them, and the Health Department estimates closer to 80,000 people could drop their cover, compared with the 44,000 the government cited. The pressure also weighs on Treasurer Jim Chalmers, as unemployment reached 4.7% in September, a five-year high.
- Michelle Grattan | Labor reintroduces health insurance rebate | Daily Liberal
The Albanese government wants to remove the bigger private health insurance rebates for people aged 65 and over (larger again at 70 and over) from April next year, saving $3 billion over four years to fund aged care. The Senate knocked the bill off the government's agenda after the opposition, Greens and crossbenchers joined forces, and the Greens want pensioners exempted as the price of passage. Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced the bill in the House of Representatives, and its future was unclear when parliament broke. Independent MP Monique Ryan, citing a Parliamentary Budget Office analysis she commissioned, says half the savings would come from older Australians least able to afford them, and accuses the government of hiding impacts: it claimed 44,000 older Australians might drop cover, while the Health Department says the figure is closer to 80,000. The fight comes as unemployment reached 4.7% in September, a five-year high, adding pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers ahead of the mid-year budget update.
- Michelle Grattan | Labor reintroduces health insurance rebate | Mudgee Guardian
The government's plan to remove age-based top-ups on the private health insurance rebate from April next year, saving $3 billion over four years for aged care, was knocked off the agenda in the Senate by the opposition, Greens and crossbenchers. Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced the bill in the House on Thursday, but the Greens, under David Shoebridge, want pensioners excluded as the price of passage. Teal independent Monique Ryan says half the savings would come from the least well-off older Australians, and that the Health Department estimates 80,000 people may drop their cover, versus the 44,000 the government cited. The bill's future remains unclear as the government negotiates with the Greens, putting pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers's budget savings.
- Michelle Grattan | Labor reintroduces health insurance rebate | The Area News
The Albanese government's plan to remove age-based top-ups on private health insurance rebates for people aged 65 and over, from April next year, would save $3 billion over four years for aged care. After the opposition, Greens and crossbenchers blocked the bill in the Senate on Wednesday, Health Minister Mark Butler reintroduced it in the House of Representatives on Thursday, but its future is unclear as the Greens want pensioners exempted. Monique Ryan cited a Parliamentary Budget Office analysis she commissioned, which found half the savings would come from older Australians least able to afford them, and accused the government of hiding the impact: it claimed 44,000 older people might drop cover, while the Health Department says the figure is closer to 80,000. The row adds pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers as unemployment hit 4.7% in September, a five-year high, ahead of the mid-year budget update due in December.
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