Comments by "Andy Dee" (@AndyViant) on "WOW! American Reacts to Australian Health Care" video.

  1. For those above a certain income (like me) there is a higher medicare levy if you do not have private health insurance. It's basically an extortion by the government - "Pay for private health insurance or else", although there is also a rebate system tiered to income. If your income goes higher than a certain level then you get no rebate at all (me again), but you don't pay the enhanced medicare levy. Honestly, I'd prefer we just paid the medicare levy at the increased rate and there was no interference to try and force people to pay for private health insurance, because most of my premiums are basically subsidising people claiming lifestyle stuff like gym memberships and running shoes and other stuff that private health insurers offer to try and get the under 30's to pay insurance. The private health insurers skim a HEAP of cream out of this (Billions of dollars per year) that could just go back into the system for better health care for disability services, mental health and dental.
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  2. Wait times are basically the only real reason to get private health insurance. You can get quicker access for elective surgery. As far as emergency services go, it's walk in (or come in an ambulance) and you are prioritized by need (eg if you're going to die, extreme pain, bleeding everywhere) down to people needing low priority assistance or just clogging up emergency wards to avoid paying out of pocket for a GP. As such, if you're prepared to wait in an emergency room to get some free paracetamol, expect a long wait time, but if you've come in with a broken arm, you should get seen to sooner, but after that stroke victim that just got delivered in an ambulance and no amount of private health insurance should change that.
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  3. @Liam McNeill My policy isn't a garbage policy but without the second levy I wouldn't have it. I'm ideologically opposed to private health insurance but I'm also not going to stand my ground and pay far extra to feel smug about it.
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