More self-funded retirees will have access to cheaper medicine and medicines under the promise of millions of dollars of simultaneous elections to tackle the pressure of living costs on tens of thousands of older Australians. I can.
Key Point:
- Older Australians to Get Cheaper Health Care and Medicine Under the Pitch of Coalition
- During the federal election campaign, the pressure on living expenses was at the forefront and central.
- Federal workers have promised to be in line with a coalition plan to expand the health card for the elderly
If elected in the May vote, the coalition will spend $ 70 million over four years and promise to provide access to the Federal Elderly Health Card (CSHC) to an additional 50,000 elderly Australians. ..
The card is currently issued to approximately 436,000 Australians over the age of 67 who are not eligible for an age pension because their assets are too valuable to use cheap Medicare services and prescription drugs.
It comes with a single income test of just under $ 58,000 a year, but the coalition is proposing to increase card eligibility by increasing it to $ 90,000 from July 1st.
The couple’s threshold will also rise from just over $ 92,000 to $ 144,000.
Both sides argue that during this federal election campaign between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, soaring living costs are at the forefront and best suited to help Australians fight higher prices. bottom.
Morrison once again argued that the coalition was using the election pitch to ease the pressure on the household.
“This is the first major change to the federal senior citizens’ health card income standard for over 20 years, other than indexing,” he said.
“Especially for older Australians who are no longer working, all dollars are important.
“Senior Australians have worked hard to make Australia as it is today, and it is important that the country takes care of them in return.”
Labor said it was in line with the pledge, and campaign spokesman Jason Claire told Channel Seven that it was a good idea.
Regardless of who wins the election, PBS medicines are cheaper.
By next year, all Australians will reduce their payments for medicines under the Benefits Scheme (PBS), regardless of who won the May election.
The coalition announced on Saturday that if it was mistakenly announced and withdrawn last month and then returned to the government, all PBS drugs would be reduced by $ 10 to a maximum of $ 32.50.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has announced that he will use the Labor campaign launched on Sunday to surpass the government by $ 2.50 and reduce the cost of PBS drugs by $ 12.50.
Shadow Health Minister Mark Butler told ABC that prescription drugs are currently too expensive.
“Hundreds of thousands of people don’t have access to medicines that doctors say are just needed for the cost,” he said.
“This is a central issue of equity and universality in healthcare.”
President Trent Toumei of the Australian Pharmacy Guild welcomed bipartisan support for this policy and explained that it was a step in the right direction.
“At local pharmacies, we see patients struggling to buy medicines from prescription to prescription, and from check to check,” said Professor Twomey.
“As living costs rise, patients are increasingly finding themselves forced to choose between putting food on the table or buying the medicines they and their families need.
“I don’t want to see Australians suffering from emergencies, hospitals, or long-term health hazards because of the cost of being forced to delay or skip essential medicines.”
Both parties have promised that the pharmaceutical pledge will come into effect early next year.
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