Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the government does believe that a mixed model of balanced private and public health services is integral to the provision of universal access to high-quality, affordable healthcare services for all Australians. Private health insurance premiums are community rated so that all people with health insurance pay the same premium for the same product, regardless of their age, weight or state of health. This ensures that private health insurance is affordable to all Australians. I am sure the opposition would agree with the government that one of the main aims is to ensure that private health insurance is affordable. Most health insurers are already paying benefits for quit smoking or nicotine replacement programs—in fact, 22 out of 38 insurers—and 20 out of 38 insurers are paying benefits for weight loss and healthy lifestyle programs. The Rudd government is currently looking at health savings accounts. This government is being proactive in this area, unlike the coalition when they were in government for 11 long years.

The government supports a mixed model of balanced private and public health services, but we also support the public hospitals. The Commonwealth government is committed to significant funding to improve our hospital system, unlike the coalition in the 11 long years they were in government. In 2008-09, the government will boost funding under the Australian healthcare agreement to $10.2 billion, because we support a mixed model of private and public health. In addition to our commitments to health and hospitals, the government is also investing up to $600 million to clear elective surgery waiting lists, $780 million for dental health and $275 million for GP superclinics.