Publication: Herald Sun
Date: 8 July 2011
Section: Business
Article excerpt:
THE Federal Government needs to clearly explain that the Medicare levy surcharge would rise for those who abandon health insurance because of means-testing for the tax rebate, Australia's largest health insurer says.
Medibank Private managing director George Savvides yesterday declined to offer a position on means-testing of the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate.
"If there are to be any changes, the most important thing, we think, is execution," he said in Melbourne yesterday.
"The last thing we want . . . is to have a policy change that results in communication to a policy holder that says your premiums are going up, have them react, and then not realise that within 12 months they're going to have a tax bill if they decide to walk away from health insurance."
