Soar in Illawarra health care costs

HEALTH care costs are continuing to increase in Cunningham through a decline in Medicare bulk-billing, a fall in benefit from the Medicate Safety Net, and an increase in private health insurance premiums, Federal Member for Cunningham, Sharon Bird, said today.

 Ms Bird was commenting on the release of Medicare electorate data for 2006 released by the Department of Heath and Ageing.

 The Medicare bulk-billing rate for Cunningham has fallen to 82.7 percent from 83 percent in the last 12-months.

 "552, 985 services were bulk-billed in 2005 from 666,374 total services, representing 83 percent of non-referred GP attendances being bulk-billed.

 "Last year, however, 557,141 services were bulk-billed from 674,068 total services, representing a decline in services being bulk-billed to 82.7percent.

 "Health care in my electorate is becoming more expensive for working families by a triple whammy of cost increases", she said.

 Ms Bird has also expressed extreme concern that there has been a decline in the Medicare Safety Net in Wollongong over the last 12-month period.

 "Figures reveal that there has been a substantial decline in the number of people qualifying for the Medicare Safety Net during the last year." Ms Bird said earlier this week.