NSW: Rebate wont halt declining rates Refshauge

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-1998
NSW: Rebate wont halt declining rates Refshauge

SYDNEY, Dec 11 AAP - The federal governments health insurance rebate scheme was merely
tinkering around the edges and would do nothing to halt the decline in private health
insurance rates, NSW Health Minister Andrew Refshauge said today.

Dr Refshauge said Prime Minister John Howard had already thrown half a billion dollars at
the problem without any success.

"Were sceptical that this is going to make any real difference," Dr Refshauge told
reporters.

He said the problem with private health insurance was that premiums kept rising and the
product itself did not deliver items that people wanted.

The federal government plan would not address this problem, he said.

"Hes done this before and it hasnt worked, hes tried this tinkering before and hes
failed," Dr Refshauge said.

"Hes pouring another billion or so of taxpayers money into a product that people dont
want to buy."

The federal governments plan for a 30 per cent rebate on private health insurance was
passed by the Senate overnight after the government accepted amendments from independent
senator Brian Harradine.

AAP ns/jo/cjh/de

KEYWORD: INSURANCE NSW

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