Alarm grows over Medicare

Date: 10 April 2000

The ACTU has warned that the Government will face rising resentment from voters if does not change its public health policies.

ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said today that a campaign by unions and health groups had identified growing anger about Government policies.

"The Government is hitting our universal health system twice. It is starving Medicare of vital funds, and propping up private health insurance with massive subsidies," Mr Combet said.

Friends of Medicare, including the Australian Nurses Federation, are campaigning in all states on World Health Day today under the banner of Medicare Day of Action. Unions including the CFMEU, the CPSU and the AMWU have in recent weeks distributed thousands of campaign kits and protest postcards in support of Medicare. The postcards supporting a universal health system will be sent to the Senate Inquiry into Public Hospital Funding.

Mr Combet said initial results from a current survey of union members had already revealed deep concern that Government policies were jeopardising Australia's free, lifetime health care system.

"This is a core value of Australian society. Every person should be able to receive quality public health care," Mr Combet said.

"Federal Government policies could leave us with a two-tier system and the people at the bottom will be low-income earners who cannot pay for medical services.

"Medicare is the foundation for a healthy community. Medicare has been part of our public health program since 1984 and unions will fight to stop it being degraded. I have no doubt that union members will use their votes in the next Federal election to protest against Government health funding policies and priorities."

The three-yearly ACTU Congress in Wollongong in June will develop a policy on Medicare and public hospitals based on the results of the union survey.

For further information

Contact:	ACTU Media Office: Brenda Finlayson
Union:	ACTU
Phone:	0413 507 260
WWW:	http://www.actu.asn.au/

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