By linking the proposed $500 Medicare ‘safety net’ to the Family Tax Benefit, the package threatens to ignore the needs many working Australians who do not have children.
“For people living with HIV and AIDS, this is a disastrous package,” said NAPWA President David Menadue. “The 14,000 Australians living with HIV infection, most of whom are gay men and many of whom are already struggling to meet medical and prescription drug costs, are being ignored by a package that provides a safety net only to those with children.”
NAPWA welcomes the ongoing debate on Medicare’s future, but insists that the needs of people with chronic illnesses must be taken into account. “NAPWA has been lobbying the government for some time on the need for a concession card for people with serious illnesses who are on low incomes but don’t qualify for the Health Care Card,” Menadue said.
“People on low incomes who remain in the workforce despite chronic illness, look to be the real losers from this package,” Menadue said. “Working people with HIV/AIDS typically spend $150 or more per month on prescription medicines and many do not have access to a doctor who bulk-bills.”
“Australians have a right to quality health care which is affordable, accessible and available to all,” Menadue said. “Both of the government’s recent proposals (‘A Fairer Medicare’ and ‘MedicarePlus’) do nothing for people with chronic illnesses including HIV/AIDS. They threaten to create a two-tiered health system, and that is something we reject outright.”
“NAPWA will lobby minor parties and independents in the Senate to argue for amendments to the package which provide a real safety net that’s available to everyone, and measures to make medical care affordable for people with chronic illnesses.”
For more details contact:
- David Menadue — NAPWA President — 0412 753 338