Greens’ spokesperson for health, Senator Richard Di Natale, said that he continued to have concerns about the proposed government's Private Health Insurance reforms.
“The Greens and the Government agree that tax payers shouldn't be subsidising private health insurance for high income earners.
“The inequities created by this approach are particularly bad in the area of dental health where low and middle income earners are subsidising dental care for high income earners to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
“But exempting high income earners from paying a higher Medicare levy because they have private health insurance just makes this inequity worse.
“If the government was to end all tax payer subsidies to the private health insurance industry it would have enough money to implement the Greens plan for universal, Medicare-funded dental treatment.”
Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600