Health card indexation

Press release
4 August 2010

Seniors: Abbott’s health card indexation a vote winner

Older Australians have welcomed the Coalition’s pledge to index the income limits on the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and introduce an employer incentive payment for older workers if they are voted into government.

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card entitles low-income self funded retirees access to cheaper medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and a quarterly utility payment.

The employer incentive will come in the form of a one-off $3250 payment to businesses hiring, for a 6 month minimum, an unemployed worker aged over 50.

National Seniors chief executive, Michael O’Neill, described the promise to index the income limits on the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card as a “vote winner” for self funded retirees.

“For low income retirees who don’t receive a pension, the card and what it entitles them to, such as cheaper medicines and help with utilities, is gold,” said O’Neill.

“Despite rising living costs, the current income limits of $50,000 for singles and $80,000 for couples have not increased since 2001,” he said.

The group also welcomed the Coalition’s employer incentive saying long term unemployment rates for the over-50s were consistently higher than the rest of the population.

“Lose your job at 50 and it’ll take three times longer to get back into the workforce than someone younger,” said O’Neill.

“In 2009, almost 60,000 older Australians who wanted to work stopped looking for jobs because no one would employ them. It’s a waste of talent and experience, and, in terms of productivity, an enormous loss to the economy,” he said.

“The reality is that with populations ageing across the OECD, 50 isn’t old these days – it’s the norm, it’s the future and astute employers know that already,” he said.

The Coalition announced seven senior-specific election promises in Brisbane today. Other notable policies include a national seniors safety program, the abolition of the Superannuation Guarantee age limit and the creation of a dedicated Seniors Minister.

Incentives to hire older workers, indexation of the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and the abolition of discriminatory work-related age limits are all part of National Seniors’ election campaign, Seniors Vote 2010.

The seniors vote is 45 per cent of the Australian electorate. Of that, 25 percent or 1.5 million are undecided.

Media contact: 07 3233 9105 or 07 3233 9135

With around 280,000 members - working and retired - across the country, National Seniors is the consumer lobby for older Australians. It is the fourth largest group of its kind in the world.

Editor’s Note: In the lead-up to the poll, National Seniors is holding marginal seat forums in Bennelong, Eden Monaro, Paterson (NSW); Longman, Ryan, Bowman (Qld); Deakin, La Trobe (Vic); Hasluck (WA); Sturt (SA); and Bass (Tasmania).