Greens in push to sink private rebate, bolster public system

Greens leader Richard Di Natale will launch today a policy to phase out the private health insurance rebate.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale. Picture: AAP

The Greens want to phase out the private health insurance rebate, diverting up to $6.5 billion in annual taxpayer funding into prevention, dental subsidies, expanded primary care and public hospitals.

Greens leader and former doctor Richard Di Natale will announce the party’s major health policies today, promising to clear the states’ elective surgery waiting lists for two years and boost bulk-billing.

“You don’t have a truly universal health system when thousands of Australians delay or avoid seeing a doctor, dentist or specialist because they can’t afford it,” Senator Di Natale said. “It’s about time we returned to the principle of free, universal healthcare.”

With insurance coverage already falling due to affordability issues, removing the rebate would inevitably see more people drop policies to rely on the public sector instead. The Greens’ waiting list pledge does not factor in such a shift and the party would also make the commonwealth responsible for 50 per cent of growth funding for hospitals from 2020.

The announcement comes amid speculation of a preference deal with Labor, which has also vowed to take a hard line on the private health sector and better support public health.

A Shorten government would cap insurance premium increases at 2 per cent for two years and have the Productivity Commission review the sector, including the future of the rebate.

The Greens also want to make Medicare-funded dental care available to all Australians by 2025, bolster Medicare and how it funds chronic disease management, have a single funding agency for hospitals and a new Preventive Health Commission.

Labor had a preventive health authority in government, has promised an Australian Health Reform Commission, and is understood to be working on dental and chronic disease management policies. The Coalition would contribute 45 per cent of growth funding and potentially boost the insurance rebate, while guaranteeing Medicare funding.