Australian Unions website are giving away free We Love Our Medicare stickers.
Free “We Love Our Medicare” Circle Sticker from Australian Unions
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Funny that. We've had 10 years of the LNP who are hostile to Medicare.
Yep. GPs are unhappy with 250-300k per year full-time wages so they refuse to bulk bill.
They are actually and for good reason. They're one of the lowest paid medical specialties and have been for years now.
But hypothetically, let's say we shouldn't pay them that much and they're only worth 50-100k a yr. Do you really want that guy? Hell no. You'd still want the guy being paid at least 250-300k because it's your damn life. Not to mention nobody decent enough to be a GP would bother doing it if the reward was anything less than 250-300k.
@mit: Agreed, GPs should be paid at least 250-300k per year (not that many bulk billing GPs in group practices are able to achieve that, even with high patient churn - at least after the practice takes its cut).
All the GP practices in my suburb, and many nearby suburbs, have all started charging gaps from this year (with some exceptions of those with pension or health care cards), which I thought they would have long ago in view of the pitiful medicare rate increases each year. They are now running on time and no longer cut the consultation short to churn patients through, which ultimately is a win for patients even if it means a small out of pocket cost (minimal compare to specialists). I would rather pay for quality service than getting cheap/ free but half-baked care. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you value.
@slimdusty: I hope you remember this in a decade or two after the Liberals spend their time chipping away at Medicare bit by bit and suddenly we all realise that they boiled the frog into an American-style for-profit healthcare system.
@TheRealCJ: You sound like you're turning this into an argument but both your points are valid.
GPs should be paid well enough that they can maintain acceptable health care standards. Medicare should be funded well enough that GPs can do their job without having to raise their fees (charge gaps)
If you aren't aware, Medicare rebates have been decreasing for years, sometimes even not inflation adjusted, just drops because they feel like it and that's also through BOTH labour AND liberal governments, so they're all doing it. Somewhere along the way, they figured out Medicare is a huge black hole in the budget. Too bad it's also probably one of the best things Australia has compared to the rest of the world.
@TheRealCJ: @TheRealCJ
I hope you remember this in a decade or two after the Liberals spend their time chipping away at Medicare bit by bit and suddenly we all realise that they boiled the frog into an American-style for-profit healthcare system.
This has already been going on for decades and the water is approaching lethal temperatures for anyone paying attention.
Howard really got things going with the LHC loading, but Liberals in general have a fundamental hatred of universal healthcare.
Keating's ALP are fully onboard with the strategy of transforming every public service and good into a privatised system (sometimes with a "safety net") and only distinguished from the Liberals by a somewhat more genuine display of anguish at the consequences of worshipping at the altar of neoliberalism (more of a "we have no choice" rather than a "strap in and get ready for lulz").
There is, of course, zero reason why care provided "free" should be of any lower quality than care at a (high) cost.
@TheRealCJ: General practice in Australia has always been part of a for-profit healthcare system (private sector), isn't it? GP practices decide how much they charge the patient for each service, and receive a MBS fee-for-service rebate from the government, which may or may not be the same as what they charge the patient.
@slimdusty: The medicare rebate is actually a patient rebate, but a GP payment. ie WE get the rebate.
And yet it was never cut, at all, in any way.
What got you Mediscared?
Frozen for ages and ages - by both sides of Govt.
Hasn't kept up with inflation so, effectively a cut.
Unfortunately it's been both sides of parliament who haven't increased medicare in line with inflation. In fact, other than the first few years I don't think the medicare rebates have increased to match inflation.
I thought there was meant to be a $10 ‘donation’ for a ‘free’ sticker for it to make it on ozbargain?
Ahh good. 100 dollerydoos. Even better.
Registering for the comments
But isn't this the same for ALL the freebies that gets posted here? They are here for advertising and harvesting your data.
If it's not a deal why are there so many free sticker deals posted on here?
Is there an issue with that?
One of my clients have CPSU reps on-site and plenty of promotional posters plastered all over the joint, some of my contacts there have commented they’re a bit of a joke. Moral of the story - a couple of stickers here and there will do diddly squat, let them have their fun I’d say.
Which part in all that is bad? Sounds a good deal that it's free! Heaven forbid people join unions, that would definitely be the worst outcome from a bunch of free stickers!
..but it’s free stuff
Where is one for Weed
Police Union stickers are most valuable. If a copper see you have one on your bumper, they usually let you get away with minor driving offense.
They do however make you a great target for carjacking.
trying to be permanent resident
Well, thats the keyword there.
Trying
You are free to pay taxes elsewhere if you chose to.
Better than those who never have paid taxes and get medicare
Well said.
Yeah those friggin' freeloading kids of ours
When you pay taxes, you are supposed to expect benefits in return. Did you understand the point i made in my original post? Why dont i get benefits in Australia while getting them "elsewhere"?
You are a temporary resident, of course you are not going to get the full benefits of PR or citizen even if you pay taxes. You can choose to leave and pay the taxes elsewhere if you think that will provide you with better benefits than here.
Medicare is not a benefit for taxpayers. You do not need to pay taxes to be eligible for Medicare. Paying taxes doesn't entitle you to Medicare.
Did I say it enough different ways or would you like me to type more slowly
@GrueHunter: Source please regarding what the benefits are to be expected by taxpayers when they pay their taxes, and why medicare is not a benefit for the taxpayers. Preferably a law that explains these.
You were a god in Scandinavia, dumb to move here when their taxes are much higher.
$100,000 tax isn't a lot over 10 years.
just buy a $1.5m house in syd/mel, a one off stamp duty will be higher than that
you enjoyed safeness and rule of law here, which are missing in a lot of countries.
you didn't need to worry about corruption (95% of the time I would say lol).
You also enjoyed 3.5 out of 5 stars infrastructure, not the best, but still better than many.
There must be a reason you choose to stay here.
If you don't like it, or don't feel grateful about the privilege of staying in Australia, you are always welcome to leave.
We don't need migrants who feel they are entitled to be here.Well said!
It is a bit rough paying tax and not getting the benefits. Same for the terrible treatment during Covid. Shameful by the government - generally slap dash the whole handling of Covid handouts.
Damn them to hell for prioritising citizens and residents, eh?
Happy to have them here doing crappy jobs, keeping our uni’s going and paying taxes, but god forbid show them a bit of decent humanity, or fairness.
But if you’re happy with a bit of good ol’ Australian selfishness good on ya.
@wfdTamar: Are you?
Or are you speaking on behalf of every Australian? You know - the very citizens of the government who dared offer them a safety net, but who inevitably could not cast a wide enough net to help every single world citizen with our money.
I'll thank you for your selflessness that has left our children with only a $700 billion debt and not what it may have been if the government's virtue-signalling was truly global in it's intent…
Do you have any sense of fairness or equality "mr they steal our jobs?"
You should also be grateful that I am working my hard ass off to fund those jobless lazy bastards so they can use up their days on a tab gambling, drinking alcohol and doing drugs..
@baldur: You're inferring an awful lot of words and philosophies I never, ever endorsed.
I'm grateful and gracious towards anyone who builds a better life for their family and a better nation for us all. Just as I'm sure you're grateful to our forebears who laid such a wonderful platform for prosperity and freedom. Of actions, thoughts and speech.
Some people, from some places, just don't get it - no matter how much they aspire to live in a country where it is the norm…
@baldur: Yes, my idea of fairness and equality is having a social welfare safety net for all Australians, regardless of whether they pay tax or not
If you're so hard done by, leave
Believe me, as a nation we'll struggle to get by without the $10k you contribute now, less the value of whatever services you do access - ie, very likely a negative number - but I reckon we'll make do.
Well said.
You don't have to pay the 2% Medicare levy though if you are not eligible… You would have to pay ~12k extra because of the levy and ask yourself if you would have gotten 12k worth of Medicare over 10 years.
Instead he paid more to private compulsory healthcare
Private healthcare is compulsory now?
True, forgot about OSHC/OVHC. But if you actually look up OVHC prices they are definitely not "more". The cheapest plan works out to be $60/month, so he would have paid $7.2k over 10 years (not accounted for inflation/rate increases obviously). Personally, I would rather pay $720/year for a compulsory private healthcare instead of paying 2% levy, but obviously the public healthcare economy cannot work like that.
Personally, I would rather pay $720/year for a compulsory private healthcare
Have a look at what you actually get for that $720/year, it's pretty minimal compared to medicare. Need a triple bypass someday? Good luck with cut-price private healthcare.
@Russ: The cheapest OSHC/OVHC covers all MBS payments except for some things like co-pay. With RHCA, you do not need OSHC/OVHC
I was so grateful to immigrate here.
Maybe you should try another country?
Looking at your posts, you have definitely got more money’s worth of advice just on OzB for free than you paid taxes in all those years.
Stop demanding and be thankful 🤪🙃
Hey your allowed on Ozbargain , thats worth 10X of any govt handout.
Lol.
ABS: Average full-time adult earnings - $95k
Tax paid on average salary: $23k
Over 10 years, that's less than half the average full-time earner pays. And you are complaining about not getting enough subsidies in a country where you pay less than half your share, and aren't a permanent resident?
I earn less than half my share too if you can be fair, you can easily fathom that fact.
And if you had some sort of common sense, you would have already figured the factual reality that with permanent residency one can easily make more money in a more professional job.
And that figure doesn't indicate literally everybody is making 95k per year. You do know there are several multi-billionaires in this country, don't you?
Perhaps pay more attention to what's going on in your own country?
I earn less than half my share too if you can be fair, you can easily fathom that fact.
what
starting to see why you only earn enough to pay $10k tax, and it's not because you're not a citizen
I know some one who spent 2mil buying an Australian business and ran it but failed to get their PR few years ago. pretty sure they contributed more than you in taxes just with that purchase alone. i reckon richer people deserves medicare more since they paid more taxes so i fully support your logic tying tax contributions to medicare/PR. Going by that $10k contribution a year you should be at the back of the line.
We know you are lying because if you are not eligible Medicare, you get that portion of your taxes back.
What?
If you are not eligible for Medicare (if your visa don’t allow etc) in the end of the financial year you apply and get the Medicare portion of the tax you paid back from the government.
If you didn’t know this, it’s on you lol.
https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-heal…
@Larsson: I pay for a private health insurance which is almost useless. Before blaming someone for "being a liar", get some knowledge.
@baldur: I mean it’s worthless to argue with you but here is your original statement:
‘ I have been here in australia for 10 years trying to be permanent resident and i paid almost 100000 dollars in taxes so far yet I have never been eligible for medicare.
Give me my money back, not stupid stickers.’
So what money are you asking back???
Medicare? You are exempt from Medicare, you never paid for it in your taxes.
You having private insurance has nothing to do with any of this.
You are asking for money back that you never paid.
How dumb do you think people are? Or how dumb are you if you haven’t got your Medicare levy back even though you could claim it back.
You are getting better living standards in Australia don't you. If not you won't be here to start with won't you?
Either a troll or truely an unconscious being floating through and blaming other people for everything in their life.
so hypothetically speaking, if i pay >100k in taxes a year, i should expect to have dedicated nurses turn up in my house for free when i have a cold?
wow, idk where you came from, but i wouldn't want you to be in either of the country i lived in with your warped sense of entitlement.
your massive 100k over 10 years is not even sufficient to sustain a minimum wage worker in a government body for 1 year btw, which is an irony, since you might be falling in the same tax bracket to pay so little in taxes.
fwiw, 10 years is the length of time most of my peers (who are migrants) take to get their parents into australia, not themselves.
edit: looked at the other responses, you don't seem to even know the difference between paying private health insurance vs medicare.. ffs
100000 is nothing to you? Check around mate. Free 3 dollar deals are upvoted like 700 times on here.
fantastic, now equating tax dollars with ozbargain freebies.
100k is going to be the amount of beer i need to drink to deal with the nonsense you write.
Love subsidising fat people's life choices
Them and smokers actually die younger and end up saving tax payers money
And smokers already pay extra taxes when they purchase tobacco. Probably spent on submarines rather than healthcare though.
Spending money treating life choice related diseases is like buying a new TV you don't need on sale and thinking you are saving money.
Do the Maths. A life time smoker starting today will subsidise his and 5 other smokers medical expenses over his lifetime in the tobacco tax he pays based on the current structure.
A life time smoker starting today will subsidise his and 5 other smokers medical expenses over his lifetime in the tobacco tax he pays based on the current structure.
Got some actual maths to back that up?
@Pennypacka: I'll be sure to tell the person on the waiting list who misses out because a smoker got the surgery or new lungs before them that some extra taxes got paid.
@Pennypacka: With smoking i think you'd be right. They can't do without the $$. The gift that keeps on giving.
Do the Maths. A life time smoker starting today will subsidise his and 5 other smokers medical expenses over his lifetime in the tobacco tax he pays based on the current structure.
This is true, now let's do it for the fatties. Because weight is one of the biggest health issues facing the country, when can we start taxing them some more?
@1st-Amendment: Exactly, love it how the comments instantly strawmanned in smokers to avoid the obesity issue. Fat people are a huge burden on our health system and no one wants to penalise them in the way we should.
That's a bit harsh :(
Lol
on average**
i love subsiding public education, but somehow people are becoming more and more stupid despite of it.
Wouldn’t it be union members’ dollars?
The guy probably meant medicare instead of the stickers.
/s
Yes/no question. Answer appears to be no.
That’s deep. Damn you have a point here 🧐
Must be a tiny sticker the way Medicare has failed to keep up with inflation over decades