The Future of Private Health Insurance

[Gringotts Bank]

It makes me wonder why those responsible for health care do so little to reduce the lifestyle risks.

OK we have had a big anti smoking campaign (with great opposition by vested interests), but alcohol and obesity have been basically ignored.

They haven't been ignored at all. Governments do plenty to promote healthy lifestyle, but as explained, it's a dead end. People indulge unhealthy habits to self-medicate. You can't just take away 'medications' (read: coping mechanisms) and not expect major repurcussions. Why do kids risk their lives taking drugs at dance parties? It's the very same reason an adult might use alcohol or soft drinks.

The only short term solution I can think of is one which would never be permitted. That is, the education of wannabe parents that if they can't properly provide a loving environment for children, then they shouldn't have them. They need to understand they may have a very hard time with their offspring if they can't create the proper environment. Something like the 'dogs aren't just for xmas' slogan.

 

[SirRumpole]

They haven't been ignored at all. Governments do plenty to promote healthy lifestyle, but as explained, it's a dead end. People indulge unhealthy habits to self-medicate. You can't just take away 'medications' and not expect major repurcussions. Why do kids risk their lives taking drugs at dance parties? It's the very same reason an adult might drink excessively.

There has been a lot of talk and some money for mental health treatment but little talk about the causes of mental illness which seems to be increasing on a per capita basis.

Unrealistic expectations of life perhaps, the idea that in a modern technological society more things will be done for us. Maybe that's the problem, too much reliance on technology and too little on individual achievement.

Who knows, I'm no psychologist.

 

[qldfrog]

Medical science, with the exception of vaccines, has been over-rated as a source of human progress. Most of the gains in health and longevity (and quality of life) have come from public health measures such as clean water, clean(er) air, better food, and sewerage systems. I agree we are now addicted to (expensive) life-extending treatments of the normal symptoms of ageing - but as soon as we extend life-spans by a couple of years, we end up "suffering" from a new "epidemic" of age-related maladies like particular cancers, heart disease , arthritis or dementia. If you look at where the health dollar goes, it is overwhelming these diseases of age. The research dollar is similarly weighted to finding "cures" for these quite normal conditions of an ageing body (and I say this as someone with failing eye sight and hearing, numerous "pre-cancerous" skin lesions as well as dicky knees).

I'd love to see an unbiased cost-benefit analysis of both health care and medical research to see whether keeping us geriatrics alive for a few more years is a genuine benefit to society. Unfortunately for most posters here, old blokes would score rather badly I think but old women, because the social and economic benefits of grandmothers have been studied, would score better.

Nature has a good way to sort things up as us boys die significantly earlier than the ladies, and not only because we speed more

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Not sure that's entirely true

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137920/

 

[sptrawler]

Private health is in the news a lot at the moment, apparently there is a mass exodus as the premiums keep going up, I can understand that we just changed ours over from annually to monthly, $5,000 is a lot to pay in one hit.
The other half wont drop it, what is the general feeling on here?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02...vate-or-public-cancer-treatment-cost/11918342

 

[dyna]

Either pay the basic hospital cover or cop the tax penalty.It's as simple that,kids(Johnnie Howard's words,I think)Those youngsters under thirty,quitting in droves right now,aren't thinking far ahead are they? They'll all be sorry when they start earning a decent wage and then get hit with the extra 1% plus the killer, 10 year lifetime health cover loading.Oh well,nobody cares about smokers paying 60+ % tax and beer drinkers,40+% ...more coin for Treasury,I guess.

 

[willoneau]

I never joined it when it started years ago, but my folks did. when they stopped working and maybe needed it they couldn't afford it, lucky for them never needed it and they are now in their late 70's and healthy.

 

[Smurf1976]

what is the general feeling on here?

In my view PHS is the actual tax rort that Labor should have gone to the last election with a plan to scrap completely.

Stop the PHS handouts and put the money into public hospitals for everyone's benefit.

I'll admit to having PHS but I'll also acknowledge that the reason is simply tax avoidance. As a concept it's a silly one and I'm considering dropping it even though it'll cost me in tax to do so. Better to prop up Medicare, that's what funds most medical treatment anyway.

 

[willoneau]

I don't mind paying the tax penalty, I see it as a form of donating to charity.

 

[jbocker]

This is a great thread folks, I really appreciate the comments. I have a few to add but need a bit of time to compile. It was an area I had invested in (NHF). However I was not sure I was comfortable in profiting from the system as a shareholder. Got out in May last year with decent profit, and missed some further good upside. I just looked and it has had a decent slide from July Last year. Happy I went with my ethics.