• TheOriginalGregToo@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    How does the cost break down in terms of private insurance versus single payer+private insurance? Basically what I’m wondering is if I currently have private insurance and it covers me for most things, what would be the difference if we switched to single payer (which covers far fewer things) and then I was also required to supplement with private (to fill in the gaps for what used to be covered but now isn’t under single payer). I suspect single payer is great for people who don’t currently have private insurance, but far worse for people who do.

    • spudsrus@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      In Australia we get a rebate on tax if we hold private cover. The rebate is generally larger if you hold better cover up to a certain level of income where you can clearly afford both.

      Hospital + extras for myself and wife was about 3k last year.

      For things like regular scripts I’m on some stupid expensive drugs but because of PBS instead of 20,000 per month I pay $35 ish per script until hitting a safety net threshold and it drops to $5 per script.

      After turning 31 if you don’t get private cover it costs more for each year you don’t get it when you eventually do. It’s to encourage people to get it if they can afford it. I’m not a fan but that’s how it works at the moment