1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,200
Speaker 1: I was contacted over the Christmas period about some concerns

2
00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,720
Speaker 1: around the dispute between the country's only private hospital operation

3
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:14,000
Speaker 1: and healthcare provider health Scope and two major private health insurers. Now,

4
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:18,919
Speaker 1: according to reports by the ABC, health Scope announced plans

5
00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,720
Speaker 1: to cancel contracts with Booper effective from February and Australian

6
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:28,000
Speaker 1: Health Services Alliance from March. It reportedly comes after the

7
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:32,880
Speaker 1: insurers refused to pay a proposed hospital fee of fifty

8
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,280
Speaker 1: dollars for same day patients and one hundred dollars for

9
00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,600
Speaker 1: overnight admissions. Now health Scoped health Scope I should say,

10
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,240
Speaker 1: owned by Canadian private equity group Brookfield, argued the fee

11
00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,760
Speaker 1: aimed to offset rising costs, but the insurers claim it

12
00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,559
Speaker 1: was profit driven. Now joining us on the line is

13
00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,880
Speaker 1: long time Territorian and somebody who's been impacted by this situation.

14
00:00:58,520 --> 00:00:59,520
Speaker 1: Ken Moffatt, Good.

15
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,000
Speaker 2: Morning, Care, Good morning Katie. How are you?

16
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:07,160
Speaker 1: We're not too bad? Ken? What has your private health

17
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:08,200
Speaker 1: fund told you?

18
00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,559
Speaker 2: Well, we received a letter in early January, pretty scant

19
00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:20,040
Speaker 2: detail but basically saying that El Scout we're tearing up

20
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,720
Speaker 2: the contract with the insurance company and we're part of

21
00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,319
Speaker 2: the AHSA group. They were tearing the contracts up and

22
00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,640
Speaker 2: that we would no longer be covered for private medical

23
00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:37,200
Speaker 2: at darn private hospital from the fourth and March. So

24
00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,520
Speaker 2: I started to do a little bit of investigation to

25
00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,319
Speaker 2: find out that it involves Cooper and I think it's

26
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:48,040
Speaker 2: twenty nine odd funds associated with AHSA. So I thought

27
00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,200
Speaker 2: that was pretty ordinary. And the reason that I think

28
00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,520
Speaker 2: it's pretty ordinary is this happened to us two years ago.

29
00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:58,559
Speaker 2: We've been a member of the HTF for forty two years, right,

30
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,120
Speaker 2: and HCF gave us the letter a couple of years

31
00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,240
Speaker 2: ago exactly the same thing Healthscope for tearing up the

32
00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,840
Speaker 2: contracts and so we had to scramble around and try

33
00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,080
Speaker 2: and find an alternative provider, and we ended up choosing

34
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,320
Speaker 2: a company called Territory Health, which is now closed down

35
00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,119
Speaker 2: but reverted back to Queensland Country Health I think it's called,

36
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:28,520
Speaker 2: which is one of the AHIST they insurers now. So

37
00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,720
Speaker 2: that was all and good, except as shortly after we'd

38
00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,560
Speaker 2: transferred across a deal was done between ACF and Healthscope

39
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,880
Speaker 2: and it was all for pretty well nothing except we've

40
00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,160
Speaker 2: gone through the hassle of having to decide and check

41
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,240
Speaker 2: and go through the hassle of trying to compare funds

42
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,400
Speaker 2: and try and come up with something that was reasonable

43
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:52,400
Speaker 2: for what we wanted now and two years on the

44
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:53,400
Speaker 2: same things happening.

45
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,960
Speaker 1: So Kim, you know, just to lie it all on

46
00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,480
Speaker 1: the table to make our listeners really aware of what

47
00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,280
Speaker 1: this may So, I mean, what exactly does it mean

48
00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:03,720
Speaker 1: for you now if.

49
00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,120
Speaker 2: You need to go the pad? All right? So I've

50
00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,840
Speaker 2: done a little bit of research on this. The first

51
00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,240
Speaker 2: interview I saw was between Ross Greenwood, who came on

52
00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,400
Speaker 2: Sky News and was back in late twenty twenty four,

53
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:21,799
Speaker 2: and basically he was saying that basically it was about

54
00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,160
Speaker 2: a fifty dollars day surgery and a one hundred dollars

55
00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,760
Speaker 2: per night overnight day, so if you were in for

56
00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,800
Speaker 2: a week, that was seven hundred dollars okay, So that

57
00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,640
Speaker 2: was how that was reported. I've also heard reported that

58
00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:38,839
Speaker 2: without the contract, which by the way, have now been

59
00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,600
Speaker 2: torn up, So without the contract, patients will pay if

60
00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,480
Speaker 2: they're privately insured, patients will pay above. I'm not sure

61
00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,240
Speaker 2: if a daily already five percent, which is some basic

62
00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,360
Speaker 2: formula within the private health system or basic for your

63
00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,400
Speaker 2: basic hospitals cover. So that's the second version I've had

64
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,160
Speaker 2: and then the third version is that come the date

65
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:06,120
Speaker 2: of your that they've said is the end of yours,

66
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,560
Speaker 2: you're not covered at all. Now. The biggest problem is

67
00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,960
Speaker 2: that there's only one private hospital in the Northern Territory,

68
00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,480
Speaker 2: which is Darwen Private Hospital, and so therefore we're the

69
00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:19,039
Speaker 2: only jurisdiction where basically now no territorian who's either with

70
00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:24,640
Speaker 2: BUPA or with AHSA will have access to Royal Darwen

71
00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:25,600
Speaker 2: Private Hospital.

72
00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,840
Speaker 1: That's wild, like that is it's an unbelievable scenario to have.

73
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,799
Speaker 1: I mean, you're paying for private health, and you would

74
00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,520
Speaker 1: you know, anyone that's paying for private health would think

75
00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,760
Speaker 1: that then if they need to go into hospital, that

76
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,280
Speaker 1: they're going to be able to go to the private hospital.

77
00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,760
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, I've got a procedure in February, but I'm

78
00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,039
Speaker 2: covered because it's before the date. If you've got something booked,

79
00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,960
Speaker 2: I believe that it's okay. If you're pregnant, I think

80
00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,400
Speaker 2: it's still There are certain things that are still okay.

81
00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,159
Speaker 2: But the biggest problem is the uncertainty and the lack

82
00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:03,200
Speaker 2: of information. So there's been virtually no communication. I have

83
00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,120
Speaker 2: actually spoken to the CEO of Queensland Country Health, so

84
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:08,800
Speaker 2: many people would get to be able to do that.

85
00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,039
Speaker 2: But I got to talk to him and he said,

86
00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,719
Speaker 2: I'll look, we're still in the game. We think it'll

87
00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,400
Speaker 2: probably get itself sorted out, you know, just hang in there.

88
00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,800
Speaker 2: As an aside, the first time we rang our private

89
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,320
Speaker 2: health insurance company, they said, oh, you can always travel

90
00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:23,480
Speaker 2: the outload for your operations.

91
00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,440
Speaker 3: You are joking, And I said, well, do you realize

92
00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,039
Speaker 3: that that might encourage a little bit of cough and

93
00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,960
Speaker 3: a little bit of accommodation, And why would I want

94
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,560
Speaker 3: to pay all this money for private health and then

95
00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,880
Speaker 3: have to travel into state, have to travel not too soon,

96
00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,680
Speaker 3: have to travel into state to get my private hospital treatment.

97
00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,040
Speaker 3: So look, so that.

98
00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,640
Speaker 2: There's a thought that there are the two sides are

99
00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,640
Speaker 2: in standoff and it will get nearer the time and

100
00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,600
Speaker 2: something might get results. But I'm really concerned for the

101
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,440
Speaker 2: truckloads of people who are probably sixty plus, of which

102
00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,640
Speaker 2: that probably represents more than fifty percent of all the

103
00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,000
Speaker 2: people who are privately insured, because I know that private

104
00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,040
Speaker 2: health insurance is on the decline. It covers six million

105
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,760
Speaker 2: people Australia wide, and that would a lot of those

106
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,400
Speaker 2: people would be older people who are confronted by the

107
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:20,240
Speaker 2: fact that this has all gone in our pear shaped

108
00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,400
Speaker 2: and what do I do and how do I organize

109
00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:26,279
Speaker 2: for an alternative health insurance? And what if I'm not covered?

110
00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,400
Speaker 2: And what have I got to pay? And you know,

111
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:29,960
Speaker 2: you know what it would be like if you go

112
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,320
Speaker 2: in for hip surgery, right and you're not insured. It's

113
00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,760
Speaker 2: over thirty grand these days, and we do have you know,

114
00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:38,760
Speaker 2: people of our age do sometimes have to go in

115
00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:39,479
Speaker 2: for hip surgery.

116
00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is just a terrible situation. Yeah.

117
00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,760
Speaker 1: So I understand you've written to the federal Health Minister

118
00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,480
Speaker 1: and have you had any you know a lot, have

119
00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,680
Speaker 1: you had any any response?

120
00:06:52,920 --> 00:07:00,159
Speaker 2: Well, so not from the Health minister perspective. No. I

121
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,440
Speaker 2: also went via Luke Gosling who gave me a few

122
00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,599
Speaker 2: platitudes and said it was all being dealt with, but

123
00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,679
Speaker 2: really gave me no detail. I've also been in touch

124
00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:13,440
Speaker 2: with Stephen Edgington and the NT Minister for Health because

125
00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,880
Speaker 2: I think the Northern Territory government should be jumping on

126
00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,760
Speaker 2: the table because we are a jurisdiction where there is

127
00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,440
Speaker 2: only one private hospital in the entire Northern Territory, so

128
00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:30,000
Speaker 2: it's not something that should be lightly passed by. But

129
00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:36,520
Speaker 2: I just one I can't understand how we've allowed a

130
00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,400
Speaker 2: private equity firm to have control of around about fifty

131
00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,760
Speaker 2: percent of our private hospital network. How in the hell

132
00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,760
Speaker 2: did that ever get past any kind of scrutiny because

133
00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,440
Speaker 2: their only interest is in the bottom line, And when

134
00:07:53,600 --> 00:08:00,520
Speaker 2: was our health system totally held to ransom by the

135
00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,360
Speaker 2: by the market. And that's what's been happened. That's what's happening.

136
00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,160
Speaker 2: I think it's playing this little game and hoping that

137
00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:08,440
Speaker 2: the other person is going to blink.

138
00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:08,760
Speaker 1: Yeah.

139
00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,920
Speaker 2: But the problem is you've got six million people out

140
00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:15,480
Speaker 2: there who were absolutely scared Whitler's about what this is

141
00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:16,680
Speaker 2: going to happen, who have.

142
00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:21,080
Speaker 1: Been probably paying for their private health for years and years.

143
00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,720
Speaker 2: Well, we've been paying for forty four years ago, and

144
00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,200
Speaker 2: we've had consistent since the day we get put back

145
00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:33,080
Speaker 2: in Australia, we've been privately insured since the daylight. So

146
00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,080
Speaker 2: that's for forty I mean I think I've said it's

147
00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,280
Speaker 2: something like forty three forty four years.

148
00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,360
Speaker 1: So can have you heard back from the health minister

149
00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,120
Speaker 1: here in the Northern Territory, because presumably it's going to

150
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,120
Speaker 1: put pressure on Royal Dale and hospital and our public

151
00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,160
Speaker 1: health system in the Northern Territory.

152
00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,240
Speaker 2: Well, that's that's something that people just don't get. I mean,

153
00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,839
Speaker 2: if one of the choices is you stop, you just

154
00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,480
Speaker 2: stop paying for your private if you're not covered, you

155
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,120
Speaker 2: must well stop paying your premium for guess what that

156
00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,760
Speaker 2: puts pressure, as you say, right back on the public

157
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:09,200
Speaker 2: health system. But no, no, looks I had to. I

158
00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,640
Speaker 2: had a very emotional call with the Office of the

159
00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,760
Speaker 2: Steve Edgington, and I had to actually ring back and

160
00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:20,400
Speaker 2: apologize for my behavior. But it's just become such an

161
00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,640
Speaker 2: emotional issue. And the thing is that everybody sorts that, oh,

162
00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:28,439
Speaker 2: look we're trying, we're in negotiation, but there's almost zero

163
00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,760
Speaker 2: communication out there. So everybody received a letter. I mean,

164
00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,360
Speaker 2: funnily enough, we've got some people who are with Booper

165
00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,839
Speaker 2: and they hadn't received a letter when we had. And

166
00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,760
Speaker 2: there's closes down I think on the twenty sixth or

167
00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,160
Speaker 2: something like that of February. But we received the letter.

168
00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,000
Speaker 2: That's it, right, And the letter was pretty scance saying

169
00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,080
Speaker 2: you have a choice to go to somewhere else because

170
00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,080
Speaker 2: they've torn up our contracts. And so you've got six

171
00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,640
Speaker 2: million people who are probably starting to get a little

172
00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,400
Speaker 2: bit nervous, and probably some of whom have already had

173
00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,080
Speaker 2: to choose to go to a different health insurer, and

174
00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,920
Speaker 2: all the complexities of that raises and strength that that causes,

175
00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,319
Speaker 2: And so I think it's appooring, And what I asked

176
00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:16,040
Speaker 2: the federal Health Minister the real was to actually intervene

177
00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:20,440
Speaker 2: for the safety and comfort of the people who are

178
00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,640
Speaker 2: privately insurance because otherwise, as you quite rightly point out,

179
00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,400
Speaker 2: there is going to be a massive drain on the

180
00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:27,960
Speaker 2: public health system.

181
00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,000
Speaker 1: Well and ken just very quickly, because we are going

182
00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,880
Speaker 1: to have to go to the national news. But also

183
00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,120
Speaker 1: it's all well and good to say, well, you can

184
00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,880
Speaker 1: change providers, but very often there are time frames in

185
00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,720
Speaker 1: place as well when you do change providers that say,

186
00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,600
Speaker 1: if somebody was to get pregnant, for example, that they

187
00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,920
Speaker 1: would not be covered for a period of time.

188
00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,080
Speaker 2: You know, it's veract fare if you're already covered under

189
00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,960
Speaker 2: a scheme and you transfer to another scheme. There I'm

190
00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,520
Speaker 2: not aware of anybody who's imposing waiting period. Okay, well,

191
00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,040
Speaker 2: not aware of any They may, but I'm not aware

192
00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,240
Speaker 2: of any because it's like, for like, the theory is

193
00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:04,800
Speaker 2: it's like for like, yeah, well.

194
00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,840
Speaker 1: That is good news. Just can very quickly any word

195
00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:10,320
Speaker 1: back from the federal health Minister.

196
00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:15,960
Speaker 2: No, I've sent this through to a current affair who

197
00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,560
Speaker 2: felt that they needed more people to jump up and

198
00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,440
Speaker 2: down before they'd take it on. But anyway, that's another story.

199
00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,800
Speaker 1: Well mate, we're happy to keep talking about the issue.

200
00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,360
Speaker 1: If anybody out there listening this morning is keen to

201
00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,960
Speaker 1: have a discussion with us eight nine four one four nine.

202
00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:31,800
Speaker 1: Even if we can't get you on today, we're happy

203
00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,320
Speaker 1: to do it another time. You can also send us

204
00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,720
Speaker 1: a message if you'd like, and we've already got messages

205
00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:41,160
Speaker 1: coming through. Ken Moffatt, I really appreciate your time this morning.

206
00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,520
Speaker 1: Thank you so very much for making me aware of

207
00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,600
Speaker 1: the issue. Can you please keep us up to date

208
00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,199
Speaker 1: as well if you sort of hear any more.

209
00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:52,120
Speaker 2: We're currently holding our own I've done an operation in February,

210
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,040
Speaker 2: and I'll be doing that under my old health scheme,

211
00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,760
Speaker 2: probably not going to do anything until that point in time.

212
00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,360
Speaker 2: Let's hope that the two parties can resolve their differnces.

213
00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:02,920
Speaker 2: But I just think it's an appalling state of public

214
00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,000
Speaker 2: affairs when a whole bunch of people have got to

215
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,760
Speaker 2: bite their fingernails waiting for some information that massively concerns

216
00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,280
Speaker 2: their health and well being.

217
00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,360
Speaker 1: Well and Ken, we live in a capital city in Australia.

218
00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:18,360
Speaker 1: People should be able to access the private hospital if

219
00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,800
Speaker 1: they've been paying their private insurer to do so.

220
00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:23,760
Speaker 2: Yep, you're right.

221
00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,319
Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you very much for your time this morning.

222
00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:27,240
Speaker 1: I really appreciate it.

223
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,520
Speaker 2: I appre I appreciate you taking this on no worries.

224
00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:31,240
Speaker 1: Thank you