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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/01/families-face-huge-rise-in-cost-of-living-under-reports-recommendations
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Commission of Audit: patients face $15 co-payment for visits to doctor | Commission of Audit: patients face $15 co-payment for visits to doctor |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Patients would be charged a $15 co-payment for the first 15 visits to the doctor they make each year, and then $7.50 for each subsequent visit, under recommendations from the audit commission. | Patients would be charged a $15 co-payment for the first 15 visits to the doctor they make each year, and then $7.50 for each subsequent visit, under recommendations from the audit commission. |
| Concession card holders should make a co-payment of $5 per visit. | Concession card holders should make a co-payment of $5 per visit. |
| Co-payments would also be placed on all medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to ensure the introduction of the “user-pays” principle. | Co-payments would also be placed on all medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to ensure the introduction of the “user-pays” principle. |
| The commission would like to see higher income earners take out private health insurance for basic services to replace Medicare. | The commission would like to see higher income earners take out private health insurance for basic services to replace Medicare. |
| Likewise, they suggest state governments should be encouraged to introduce a co-payment for less urgent emergency department visits. | Likewise, they suggest state governments should be encouraged to introduce a co-payment for less urgent emergency department visits. |
| The recommendations would see large rises in the cost of living if the recommendations of the audit commission are introduced. | The recommendations would see large rises in the cost of living if the recommendations of the audit commission are introduced. |
| The commission recommend a severe paring back of Tony Abbott’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, capping it at average weekly earnings (currently $57,460) rather than up to $100,000 as announced this week. | The commission recommend a severe paring back of Tony Abbott’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, capping it at average weekly earnings (currently $57,460) rather than up to $100,000 as announced this week. |
| Childcare could see increased funding from the savings out of PPL and nannies qualify as a service under the funding envelope. But childcare payments generally would face more stringent means-testing. | Childcare could see increased funding from the savings out of PPL and nannies qualify as a service under the funding envelope. But childcare payments generally would face more stringent means-testing. |
| The Family Tax Benefit Part B – currently paid to sole parents and stay at home parents - will be abolished and only sole parent families will receive a supplement to make up for the loss. | The Family Tax Benefit Part B – currently paid to sole parents and stay at home parents - will be abolished and only sole parent families will receive a supplement to make up for the loss. |
| The commission would like to strip some of the regulations from private health insurance funds to give greater flexibility to vary premiums to account for “lifestyle” factors like smoking. | The commission would like to strip some of the regulations from private health insurance funds to give greater flexibility to vary premiums to account for “lifestyle” factors like smoking. |
| Other cost saving measures in Medicare include increasing the general extended Medicare safety net threshold from $2,000 to $4,000 and auditing the Medicare benefits schedule to replace expensive items with cheaper alternatives. | Other cost saving measures in Medicare include increasing the general extended Medicare safety net threshold from $2,000 to $4,000 and auditing the Medicare benefits schedule to replace expensive items with cheaper alternatives. |