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LABOR TO CUT PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE REBATE FOR OLDER AUSTRALIANS: McCORMACK

24 April 2026

The Labor Government has resumed its attack on older Australians’ hip pockets with the Minister for Health Mark Butler delivering a hammer blow to those over 65 years old, according to Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack.

Mr McCormack said the Minister’s scrapping of the higher private health insurance rebate for over-65s was careless cost shifting and would put pressure on the already struggling public health system.

“More than 1.4 million Australians are now staring down the barrel of another Labor-induced cost-of-living hit between the eyes with older Australians being asked to stump up more money to pay for Labor’s policy failures,” Mr McCormack said.

“This means over-65s will be paying up to $640 more a year for their health insurance.

“This is yet another paltry attempt to redistribute wealth and enforce what is essentially a retiree tax.

“This move will simply cause older Australians to ditch their private health insurance and put additional pressure on the public system, which will cost the taxpayer even more. The Minister’s own estimates suggest around 60,000 older Australians will be forced to drop their private health cover.

“It’s simply not good enough.

“It is preposterous for Labor to expect older Australians to pay the price for its reckless policies – this decision doesn’t even deliver any cost saving – it just moves the financial burden to the public system and Medicare.”

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