At 03:57 PM 30/06/00 +1000, I wrote
that the Aussie Medicare system is funded by a little over
>1 percent of tax levied, as I recall, a pretty good investment in
>social utility in my view) to those taking out private insurance.
checked and find this:
============================
Australians already pay a 1.5% Medicare levy, which provides medical care
as a public or "Medicare" patient. The Medicare Levy Surcharge is an
additional 1% of a person's taxable income imposed if they are on a higher
income and do not have private hospital insurance coverage. It will
generally be payable when a person's income tax for a year is assessed and
is payable.
Who does it affect?
§ Single people with taxable incomes greater than $50,000pa
§ Families (with or without children) with combined
taxable incomes greater than the family surcharge threshold. The family
surcharge threshold is $100,000pa plus an additional $1500pa for each
additional dependent child after the first.
====================
(Bear in mind that the $A is currently $US0.60.)
In other words, there's a strong incentive for better-off people to take
out private insurance. But they still contribute to the commonweal via the
non-surcharge component.
Damien Broderick
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