Topic: Why

[mistybear]

Australias Medicare levy is 1.5% of your wage, and an additional 1% if you earn above a certain level and do not have private health insurance.

The federal government will pay a 30% rebate on private health insurance premiums.

I wouldn't want to have a toothache and rely on Medicares dental scheme,

What's not covered by Medicare? dental examinations and treatment (except specified items introduced for allied health services as part of the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program)?contact Medicare for more information

Which covers what?

Summary: The new Medicare allied health and dental care initiative allows chronically ill people who are being managed by their GP under an Enhanced Primary Care EPC plan access to Medicare rebates Allied Health and Dental Care initiative guide to Medicare claiming PDF, 236Kb Information for allied health professionals.

I went to the local hospitals dental clinic 12 years ago, waited all morning with a terrible toothache, received a 30 second poke and prod and was told I would receive an appointment date and time in the mail. (I ended up going to a private dentist, and I still haven't received an appointment)

Basically, if you need a dentist, you'd better be able to pay for one.

[sam]

its not that bad here Clive.. .but maybe its because I'm in a big city and we have 4 large hospitals here - I've never had to wait too long for treatment.  I think we must be on par, if not above the US standards for health care - and it is cheaper, though we do pay for it through NI we still get all treatment covered no matter how costly.

Dentists are a different matter though... I got taken off the NHS list because my dentist cancelled my appointment meaning I had not had an appointment as an NHS patient for over a year and a half... thus meaning I now have to pay private fees (and its the same bloody guy!) ... much more expensive.

Oh and don't get me started on our god awful education system - I think our University fees are also now on par with the US, or approaching it. Absolutely short sighted of this stupid labour government.

[Rik]

its not that bad here Clive.. .

  Been out celebrating last night, Sam? 

[davy51]

Dont forget Davy that we already pay a lot of money for our NHS through our compulsory national insurance (NI) payments.
When I was in Australia in the 1980s I compared how much a month I was paying in NI each month to friends of my brothers with similar income to mine and their private health insurance worked out at around half of what I paid.
This gave them better and quicker medical treatment, including dentist fees, which have always been expensive here, even if you are lucky enough to get a National Health dentist.



I know you gu

Dont forget Davy that we already pay a lot of money for our NHS through our compulsory national insurance (NI) payments.
When I was in Australia in the 1980s I compared how much a month I was paying in NI each month to friends of my brothers with similar income to mine and their private health insurance worked out at around half of what I paid.
This gave them better and quicker medical treatment, including dentist fees, which have always been expensive here, even if you are lucky enough to get a National Health dentist.

Obviously if you are unemployed and havent saved any money from your previous employments or are an illegal immigrant on benefits who has never paid into the system then dentistry is free, along with all the other financial incentives to come and live here 





I know you guys and ladies pay a lot of taxes like we do
someone single here pays about 40% in taxes(social security,income etc)

then when you retire after 40 years they offer 5 to 600 dollars a month for old folks to live on

not much and we have some surviving on dogfood which is a shame






Obviously if you are unemployed and havent saved any money from your previous employments or are an illegal immigrant on benefits who has never paid into the system then dentistry is free, along with all the other financial incentives to come and live here   




here you can draw 465 dollars a month in this type of case

[Michelle]

Its £6.55 for me and £5.15 for a child - then there's popcorn and a drink...so its more like £20 for the whole wonderful experience of listening to ppl answering their phones munching in your ears talking and coughing though the best bits and sitting in uncomfortable seats in the freezing cold. (thats just our local cinema not sure what its like in the O2)

Why should I pay £5.00 for a movie ticket when I can see the same
movie on TV for £30.00 a month?

[sam]

i go the cinema at least once a week but I have the luck of not having to go at peak times, I really hate going then - full of w**kers making noise and being antisocial - luckily the AMC cinema that I go to has some good security that are very good at kicking people out!