Posted on 05/05/2017 8:38:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
During a meeting Thursday night with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, President Donald Trump praised Australia’s universal health care system.
He made the comments while insisting that Republicans are “united” in their push to repeal Obamacare and praising the legislation passed by the House on Thursday.
“It’s a very good bill right now. The premiums are going to come down, very substantially. The deductibles are going to come down. It’s going to be fantastic health care. Right now Obamacare is failing. We have a failing health care,” Trump said. “I shouldn’t say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia, because you have better health care than we do.”
Australia has a universal, government-funded health care system called Medicare. Australians are able to go to the hospital and see doctors free of charge under the system, but citizens there must purchase private insurance for some medical services. The system is partially funded by taxes, including an additional tax on wealthy Australians who do not have private health insurance.
The legislation passed by House Republicans on Thursday, meanwhile, makes major cuts to Medicaid and an analysis of the original bill by the Congressional Budget Office in March projected that the bill would cost 24 million people their health insurance within ten years.
This is just the kind of “make nice” that Trump does. I’ve long ago ignored these kind of remarks. He must have been raised to be a very polite little boy!
Actually the insurance companies had better take note and get premiums down immediately when the healthcare bills pass, otherwise their industry will be wiped out when the country goes single payer.
Sure, because they’re an island and don’t have 11 million needies crossing their border!
I heard that live while chatting with mate of mine from Australia on facebook. She seemed suprised he said that (she is a labour party type and anti Trump).
I have lived and worked in Australia for 5 years. They have a hybrid public/private health insurance system.
Australia has a universal, government-funded health care system called Medicare (not only for seniors).
Australians are able to go to the hospital and see doctors free of charge under the system, but citizens there must purchase private insurance for some medical services. The system is partially funded by taxes, including an additional tax on wealthy Australians who do not have private health insurance.
Medicare, administered by the federal government, is the publicly funded universal health care system in Australia which was instituted in 1984. It coexists with a private health system. Medicare is funded partly by a 2% Medicare levy (with exceptions for low-income earners), with the balance being provided by government from general revenue. An additional levy of 1% is imposed on high-income earners without private health insurance.
As well as Medicare, there is a separate Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme also funded by the federal government which considerably subsidizes a range of prescription medications.
Funding of the health system in Australia is a combination of government funding and private health insurance. Government funding is through the Medicare scheme, which subsidizes out-of-hospital medical treatment and funds free universal access to hospital treatment. Medicare is funded by a 2% tax levy on taxpayers with incomes above a threshold amount, with an extra 1% levy on high income earners without private health insurance, and the balance being provided by the government from general revenue.
Private health insurance, funds private health and is provided by a number of private health insurance organizations, called health funds. The largest health fund with a 30% market share is Medibank.
Medibank was set up to provide competition to private “for-profit” health funds. Although government owned, the fund has operated as a government business enterprise since 2009, operating as a fully commercialized business paying tax and dividends under the same regulatory regime as do all other registered private health funds. Highly regulated regarding the premiums it can set, the fund was designed to put pressure on other health funds to keep premiums at a reasonable level.
“This is just the kind of “make nice” that Trump does. I’ve long ago ignored these kind of remarks. He must have been raised to be a very polite little boy!”
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Exactly! That is the impression I get from him. He compliments people, he wants to get along, but he also has serious strength and isn’t afraid to demonstrate it (The MOAB in Afghanistan).
It never hurts to be polite to your friends and allies.
It was 11 million 20 years ago, it is much higher than that now.
RE: Sure, because they’re an island and don’t have 11 million needies crossing their border!
Plus, they are very SELECTIVE when it comes to accepting refugees.
In fact, American UNDER Obama agreed to accept the refugees they rejected. See here:
Guess who pays for their healthcare?
Unless you’re a cancer patient....
Unfotunately if you say enough things like that you develope a reputation for being either a closet liberal or a liar.
“They have a hybrid public/private health insurance system.”
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From what I understand, they have a system like that in Sweden, I believe.
Canada really needs to look into that. For some ridiculous reason, they have made it illegal to buy private insurance, leading to long wait times, etc.
They act like a jealous sibling to the U.S. who is acting out, not wanting anything to do with the bigger sibling’s system (formerly private insurance).
A hybrid system eases the pressure.
I once had to wait 12 hours in the emergency room with my crying 18-month old daughter who had a painful ear infection. I went up to the nurse and said, in my terrible French, “no one has been called to see a doctor in at least an hour. What’s going on?”
The nurse said, “The doctor is at dinner.”
I said, “This is a hospital! Are you telling me there are no other doctors that can see us?”
I turned around to the crowd and said, “Why do you people put up with this?”
Well, within ten minutes, my daughter was seen. :)
Canadians just put up with it. I have no idea why.
Begone, Mr. Troll.
The only way they can reduce premiums is for the providers to charge less or for the policies to cover less.
I see nothing in this bill that would reduce the cost of any given procedure and our politicians continue to promise that services won't be denied, so I wouldn't count on a big reduction.
I voted for Trump and support him you twit. But words DO have unintended consequences.
Canadians are proud of their politeness. But the flip side is docility, passivity and spineless conformity.
Well then they can count on being out of business totally. The big press is on for socialized medicine (they call it single payer to make it more acceptable, but it’s socialized medicine)
[[Australians are able to go to the hospital and see doctors free of charge under the system,]]
So doesn’t Canada- BUT if you need medical help- it’s a crap shoot whether you’ll survive it or not- or even get in to see the surgeon or doc in time to save your life- Canada’s healthcare system sucks-
[[I once had to wait 12 hours in the emergency room with my crying 18-month old daughter who had a painful ear infection.]]
I knew folks that damn near died after contracting infections for basic operations in canada- they couldn’t get in to see a doc- came very close to dying- they were very sick- one person faced that same crap twice- lucky ot even be alive now-
Why doesn’t the msm quote the number of those who would have lost it and been fined for it. I’m pretty sure it would be a lot more than 24 million and a lot quicker than 10 years.
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