Greens move to kill off health surcharge

13 Feb 2012, 11:11 am   -   Source: AAP
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The Greens say Labor is trying to force people into private health insurance. (File AAP)

The Greens say Labor is trying to force people into private health insurance. (File AAP)

The Greens will back the Labor's plan to means test the private health insurance rebate but wants to kill off plans to hike the Medicare surcharge.

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The Australian Greens are keen to kill off government plans to hike the Medicare surcharge.

The minor party says Labor is trying to force people into private health insurance.

"The Greens want to make sure we don't go down the US-styled road," MP Adam Bandt told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

Mr Bandt was speaking ahead of debate on government legislation that aims to means test the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate and lift a surcharge on higher income-earners who don't take out private cover.

The Greens support the first measure but don't want Labor implementing the second.

Mr Bandt says the party is worried Australians will have a health system similar to the US where the wealthy have private cover and are looked after and everyone else is on a bare minimum safety net.

"You wouldn't say to a parent, `Because you're wealthy you have to send your children to a private school,'" he said.

Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton says the coalition is focused on defeating the plan.

"I'm happy to answer questions once the vote has been taken," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"We will do whatever it takes to see this bill voted down."

Mr Dutton urged crossbenchers weighing up the policy merits of the government plan to consider the impact on regional hospitals in their electorates.

"This is going to take more pressure on our public hospitals and take more money out of people's household budgets," he said.

Mr Dutton denied the 30 per cent rebate was unsustainable.

Under the reforms, the government would means-test the rebate for individuals earning more than $80,000 a year and families earning more than $160,000.

Labor has been battling to get the legislation through parliament, with the Senate twice rejecting the plan.

The measures would save the Commonwealth $2.4 billion in the first three years and an estimated $100 billion by 2050.

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