Subisidising healthcare for the elderly :(

[Gingermick]

the amount some people pay compared to others for a service that all are and should be entitled to.
Jack

Everyone is quite welcome to make use of available medical services.

If you aren't ill enough, then you aren't putting in enough effort.
I've had my share. And it didn't require much effort.

[Studley 2436]

Can I buy into this discussion too?

I think Medicare works really well for serious injury such as a road crash, or industrial accident. You get taken to hospital and treated immediately. No questions about do you have insurance or anything like that.

Medicare isn't so good for things that aren't life threatening. Even some things that are life threatening it doesn't do well. The reason is because there has to be some limit to supply. Universal access means you get lines or waiting periods before you can have treatment.

It is difficult to change the system too. Remember recently when they wanted to cut back on IVF. Now what they proposed wouldn't save a lot of money because they were only going to say they wouldn't do IVF for women over 40 and for women who had failed 3 times. Basically the ones where there was very little chance of success. The other thing is that IVF is apparantly pretty stressfull so after three times you don't really want to go through it all again. Modest changes to save a little money and a the use of a few beds but the outcry made them change their minds.

Of course try going to outpatients for treatment queus for miles. Many times for flu symptoms either because people don't want to pay a gap fee or because the GP wants to make sure he is covered on the small chance it is something more serious. Have to curtail the legal system making judgement calls on doctors after the fact as much as they are. (not proposing to stop legal comeback on incompetent doctors but doctors shouldn't just be sued for anything esp things they may not have been able to do anything about. The example there being childbirth where a poor decision might be made but in the heat of the moment they had to decide something. Later with much more time to examine all the options you can say the doctor did the wrong thing but at the crucial moment he did the best that could be done, you shouldn't be sued for that)

Pharmacists have a monopoly. If Business was permitted to employ Pharmacists to operate pharmacies either in Woolworths or independent businesses there would be a 500 million saving.

A big problem with the health system is that it is a closed market. There aren't price signals and the government is paying for most things. The government even pays a lot to keep the health insurers operating. If there were some way to introduce market forces we would have a better system that cost less etc etc. I don't know how you could do this just that it would work better.

Part of the problem too is that anyone can have any treatment they want. If the system said we won't treat this because you will die anyway resources could be saved for those you can make better. BUT sometimes people have been told that they would die even with treatment but insisted on being treated and made very good recoveries and lived well for 15 even 20 years.

I am not taking a postion on any of this there are many powerful forces that dictate to our health system and not all of them are interested in finding a better outcome. Some of those in the system don't want it changed as they do very well out of it.

While Medicare has some serious faults it does work at least after a fashion. You could improve it but doing so would prove very difficult.

Stevo
I promise not to be so serious in future

[Grunt]

I think a bit of lateral thinking is in order. I think we should have a woodwork tool levy. We all pay an extra 1% tax. If you are a member of this board and wear a foilie, you'll be entitled to get all the woodwork tools you need. Solves Adams problem. I'd be happy.

[shaunburgess]

Grunt,

What a wondertool idea, i have given you a greenie for this (my first)!!!!! I think you should petetion little johnny for it straight away!

[Studley 2436]

Actually Grunt made me think of something.

A study of people who made it to 100 years of age found nothing similar except they all had something they were doing. They were volunteers had a hobby something that they did that made it worthwhile getting out of bed.

So because we have a hobby something to feel good about contact with a group of like minded people we are going to live longer and better than we would have otherwise.

SO the government should give us a tax break for tools and consumables.

What about allowing home woodworkers to register for GST and send in a BAS each month to get their 9% back?

Stamp duty axed on tools. Pretty sure there are some more taxes they can get rid of to make it easier for us to look after our health.

Stevo

[routermaniac]

Here we could just send 'em to Tasmania. Sort of like the Olympic City selection really, the infrastructure is in place and they have a history of that sort of thing there. Or if Tassie was too unpalatable, New Zealand would be ok.to PodCasts).

I should really stop reading this when I'm eating, nearly choked from laughter

[Jack E]

What about allowing home woodworkers to register for GST and send in a BAS each month to get their 9% back?

Not a bad idea but it would promote more whining.

Somebody who boght a $100 tool and recieved $9 back would whinge that the rich person who bought a $500 tool got 5 times more than him back

Jack

[E. maculata]

or someone else would whinge that they didn't get 50% back, cause you know they put more into the economy, then they would set up a family trust that recieved all the income and what with the associated negative gearing and depreciation, it paid for all the tools over a 3 year period, but still they were insured for twice the original purchase amount and still they whine......by the way did anyone else see the survey results that was recently done on some Aussie millioniares ?????????:confused:

[Daddles]

Nah. We don't need a levy for friggin' tools. We need it for BOAT BUILDING EPOXY. Cripes. I'm putting together a Mouseboat, on the cheap, and the rotten epoxy is going to cost more than the rest of the boat put together. Stich and Poo boys. Don't do it, especially when building boats. Actually, it sounds rather painful if doing it in anyway but the boat building application. Is this making sense? No? Take up boat building. It'll make perfect sense ... even if I don't.

Richard
and they say that you have to be careful about the fumes. I don't believe it myself myself myself myself

[echnidna]

Pharmacists have a monopoly. If Business was permitted to employ Pharmacists to operate pharmacies either in Woolworths or independent businesses there would be a 500 million saving.
Stevo
I promise not to be so serious in future

If Coles and Woolies operated pharmacies they would probably do what thay have done to all the other small businesses. And they would try to soak up as much of that 500 mil as possible.

They used to be cheap once upon a time .... but theyre not nowadays.

I seem to recall Coles mighta recently been fined for improper trade practises.
Woolies sacked many Dick Smith franchises recently and in at least one instance opened a Dick Smith outlet immediately opposite their former franchisee.

[Sturdee]

Not a bad idea .
Jack

Jack, as a tradesman I thought that you already claimed all the GST back on your workshop equipment. :confused:


Peter.

[Studley 2436]

If Coles and Woolies operated pharmacies they would probably do what thay have done to all the other small businesses. And they would try to soak up as much of that 500 mil as possible.

The thing is that the law at present requires you to be a pharmacist to own a pharmacy. There is also a rule about how close two Pharmacies can be to each other. Get rid of those rules and allow some competition.

Looking at the profit returns on Woolies and Coles and they are not outrageous. I don't see a problem.

Stevo

[Jack E]

Jack, as a tradesman I thought that you already claimed all the GST back on your workshop equipment. :confused:

I am not self employed so I claim all my "work related" tools as a deduction, not as a GST rebate. This is 100% for tools under $600 I think and tools over that price are depreciated over the years. I have just changed employers and all the tools I need are now provided by them.

I am more than likely starting my own contracting business in Jan and can't wait to see how much money I can make "disappear" then. Although I do see running ones own business like owning investment property, if you are doing it purely to avoid tax there are better ways.

It might look a bit dodgy if as a Refrigeration Mechanic / Electrician I claim some of the tools I have purchased in the last financial year.

Except as a hobby I can't justify the purchase of two table saws, a jointer, a bench sander, a DC and about 20 hand planes just to name a few

Jack.

[Gingermick]

It might look a bit dodgy if as a Refrigeration Mechanic / Electrician I claim some of the tools I have purchased in the last financial year..

Work related education expenses.
You never know when you need to dovetail a busted fridge door

[Jack E]

Work related education expenses.
You never know when you need to dovetail a busted fridge door

Now wouldn't that look good

Jack