❓ A parliamentary question regarding the potential impact of changes to the Medicare levy on WA's health system, particularly emergency departments and elective surgery wait times. The response disputes the premise and highlights government achievements in reducing elective surgery wait times.
AnsweredQoN 261Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MEDIBANK LEVY EXEMPTION — IMPACT ON HEALTH SYSTEM
I refer to the federal Treasurer’s estimate that 480 000 people Australia-wide, and, by extension, an estimated 50 000 in Western Australia, will dump their private health insurance as a result of the changes to the Medicare levy. Those figures are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics formula that Western Australia represents 11 per cent of Australia. Given that the state’s emergency departments are choked with patients, that the state has one of the highest admission wait times for emergency departments in Australia and that its public hospitals are already filled to overflowing, is it not true that, even if extra federal funding is provided, the state’s hospitals lack the capacity to manage extra patients and it is inevitable that seniors and the disadvantaged will have to wait longer for their surgery? Mr J.A. McGINTY
I refer to the federal Treasurer’s estimate that 480 000 people Australia-wide, and, by extension, an estimated 50 000 in Western Australia, will dump their private health insurance as a result of the changes to the Medicare levy. Those figures are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics formula that Western Australia represents 11 per cent of Australia. Given that the state’s emergency departments are choked with patients, that the state has one of the highest admission wait times for emergency departments in Australia and that its public hospitals are already filled to overflowing, is it not true that, even if extra federal funding is provided, the state’s hospitals lack the capacity to manage extra patients and it is inevitable that seniors and the disadvantaged will have to wait longer for their surgery? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I think the questioner has a misunderstanding—believe it or not, given that he is a doctor—of how the health system works. If people are in need of emergency treatment, overwhelmingly they are taken to a public hospital. Certainly, if they are acutely unwell, they will be taken to a public hospital, which is where they should be because that is where they will get the best treatment in an emergency situation. There is no doubt about that in anyone’s mind. I think that this change will have a negligible effect on the state’s emergency departments because already people with private insurance and public patients all go to public hospital emergency departments for their treatment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I think the questioner has a misunderstanding—believe it or not, given that he is a doctor—of how the health system works. If people are in need of emergency treatment, overwhelmingly they are taken to a public hospital. Certainly, if they are acutely unwell, they will be taken to a public hospital, which is where they should be because that is where they will get the best treatment in an emergency situation. There is no doubt about that in anyone’s mind. I think that this change will have a negligible effect on the state’s emergency departments because already people with private insurance and public patients all go to public hospital emergency departments for their treatment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
I think the questioner has a misunderstanding—believe it or not, given that he is a doctor—of how the health system works. If people are in need of emergency treatment, overwhelmingly they are taken to a public hospital. Certainly, if they are acutely unwell, they will be taken to a public hospital, which is where they should be because that is where they will get the best treatment in an emergency situation. There is no doubt about that in anyone’s mind. I think that this change will have a negligible effect on the state’s emergency departments because already people with private insurance and public patients all go to public hospital emergency departments for their treatment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I think the questioner has a misunderstanding—believe it or not, given that he is a doctor—of how the health system works. If people are in need of emergency treatment, overwhelmingly they are taken to a public hospital. Certainly, if they are acutely unwell, they will be taken to a public hospital, which is where they should be because that is where they will get the best treatment in an emergency situation. There is no doubt about that in anyone’s mind. I think that this change will have a negligible effect on the state’s emergency departments because already people with private insurance and public patients all go to public hospital emergency departments for their treatment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
I think the questioner has a misunderstanding—believe it or not, given that he is a doctor—of how the health system works. If people are in need of emergency treatment, overwhelmingly they are taken to a public hospital. Certainly, if they are acutely unwell, they will be taken to a public hospital, which is where they should be because that is where they will get the best treatment in an emergency situation. There is no doubt about that in anyone’s mind. I think that this change will have a negligible effect on the state’s emergency departments because already people with private insurance and public patients all go to public hospital emergency departments for their treatment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
The SPEAKER : Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Where it will have an effect, if you can hear me, Mr Speaker—I am not sure that you can — The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
The SPEAKER : Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe to order. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Last year some 780 000 Western Australians presented at the emergency departments of public hospitals. I know there are a number of frequent flyers among that number, but that is one in three of the public who went to an emergency department. I think there is only one emergency department at a private hospital, and that is at St John of God Health Care hospital. Everyone else goes to the public hospital emergency departments for treatment. Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Dr K.D. Hames : They do not. They sometimes go to their general practitioner, who sends them to a specialist. Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : That is where they should be if they are GP-type patients. The problem is not with the emergency departments; the problem is with elective surgery. People take out private health insurance for elective surgery purposes, not in case they get a heart attack and are taken by an ambulance to hospital, because they will overwhelmingly end up in a public hospital in those circumstances. We have had remarkable success stories surrounding elective surgery in this state. We have almost halved the number of people on the elective surgery waiting list compared with when the opposition was in power. The figure for this week is 12 596 people on the elective surgery waiting list, down from the 21 500 to 22 000 when the opposition was last in power. More importantly, we have also halved the time that people wait for their surgery, which is now down to two-and-a-half months rather than the five months that it was when the opposition was in power. To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
To answer the question, somewhere between 50 000 and 60 000 Western Australians might well drop out of private health insurance. I think there are a number of reasons for that. First, there is the issue that has been raised in the question of some people no longer being liable for paying the Medicare levy through the taxation system. Second, particularly if younger people drop out, we are likely to see older and more acutely unwell people retaining their health insurance. The number of people who have health insurance and who are in need of using it will be significantly increased, adding to the cost of health insurance, which might price us out of the market. Third, a very real issue that this government is acutely aware of is the rising cost of living. The cost of groceries, fuel and mortgages will force people to make decisions about whether they retain their private health insurance or not. I think that collectively those three issues will contribute to an extra load, not on emergency departments but on elective surgery capacity.
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