Labor’s secret plan to abolish or slash the Private Health Insurance rebate, as revealed today by The Australian, would be devastating for millions of Australian families.
Labor has always hated Private Health Insurance. In Government, Labor cut $4 billion from the Private Health Insurance rebate and means tested it.
Tanya Plibersek has even gloated about raiding Private Health Insurance when she was Health Minister:
“Every promise I made I paid for. How did I pay for it? I paid for it by targeting private health insurance.” (Tanya Plibersek – 4 April 2016 – Press Conference)
This was despite Labor promising not to cut Private Health Insurance.
Today we learn that Chris Bowen wants to raid it again.
Scrapping the rebate would hit hard. It’s disgraceful that Labor wants millions of Australian parents to pay more for health cover for families.
This would threaten health care for millions of Australians and blow out waiting lists for public hospitals. Everyone would lose under Labor.
The Coalition is committed to Private Health Insurance and we’re committed to supporting the 13 million Australians that have taken out cover.
We recognise that every dollar matters to families – and that’s why we’re continuing to support affordable premiums with the private health insurance rebate – worth around $6 billion per year.
Labor can’t be trusted with Private Health Insurance. They simply see it as a golden goose and want to get their hands on the cash.
(ENDS)