|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 Home Campaigns Put Health First News
Labor Cuts Price of Medicines04 October 2004Labor says it will pass on significant savings to Australian families through cheaper medicines and double the rebates for childhood vaccines. From 1 January 2005, the PBS co-payment for pensioners and concession cardholders will be 60 cents less than the Coalition and other individuals and families will be $3.60 less than the Coalition. This means that under Labor's plan concessional patients would pay $4.00 per script from January 1 compared with $4.60 under the Coalition and other patients would pay $25.00 under Labor, or $28.60 under the Coalition. A Federal Labor Government will also double the Maternity Immunisation Allowance to $427.20 from 1 July 2005. Australian Consumers Association health policy officer Nicola Ballenden said the price cut was "incredibly welcome" "It's great news because the people hit the hardest were those with a chronic illness who take a number of medications who couldn't afford to keep taking everything they need," she said. Stan Smith, of the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of Victoria said, it was about time poorer pensioners were given extra help. "Sixty cents may not seem like a lot, but if you get three or four scripts filled at once it's a give drain on pensioners who have got no extra income," he said. Contact Details Health Services Union of Australia hsu@hsu.net.au |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
© 2003 Health Services Union (HSU) |
|
