Australia announces that it may soon begin charging "irresponsible" unvaccinated residents more

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[COL Mustard]

1. I wish US health insurers would do that

I’m okay with charging more for people who don’t want to take simple steps to protect themselves and their community.

[SheltieLover]

4. And officially deem them ineligible for SSDI from long covid!

MSM isn't talking much about long haulers, but this situatiion & the huge #s could severely impact Sicial Security!

[Rebl2]

10. Exactly

[SheltieLover]

12. I doubt this will ever happen, sadly

[Rebl2]

14. I'm sure you are correct

unfortunately.

[SheltieLover]

16. I hope I'm wrong

[AZSkiffyGeek]

29. Yeah!

Let’s deny sick people health care and their SS benefits! Do you think we should do that for the obese as well? How about diabetics? The mentally ill? Congress better not pass M4A, there might be people who don’t deserve care who get help. Of course we can just follow the suggestion down thread and ship em off to an island to die? I think someone in the past suggested a solution like that…

[SheltieLover]

31. No, let's just let the magats destroy yet another important institution

[AZSkiffyGeek]

32. So it's about punishing Trumpers?

I thought this was about violating civil rights for public health? If it’s about getting revenge on MAGATs that’s COMPLETELY different…

[SheltieLover]

43. Wrong again. Not punishing anyone. Rather protecting American institutions from willfully unvaxed

[COL Mustard]

36. If I'm obese and drink too much

It doesn't really impact anyone else, unless I drink and drive. The willfully unvaccinated, on the other hand, do impact others. That's the difference.

[SheltieLover]

44. Very true!

This virus is super contagious & breaking our healthcare system. Not to mention killing many & leaving many more debilitated.

[COL Mustard]

46. I'm very much pro-masks and pro-vaccination

And even with that, I'll be glad when this damn thing is done. It's horrible what it is doing to our society. And I'm not just talking about the deaths, although each one leaves a hole in someone's life. I'm talking about the emotional toll this is taking on our health care professionals and other first responders, as well as our teachers and students who have to be in close proximity to each other. I'm also talking about disruptions to our supply chains because of outbreaks in other countries, and of course about the inequity involved in vaccine distribution. I just want the damn thing to end.

I know there are people who legitimately can't be vaxxed. They have compromised immune systems or other conditions, or in some places the vaccine isn't widely available (more internationally than domestically), and there are people who for whatever other reason aren't vaxxed. The people who are willfully unvaxxed and won't wear masks are the real problem here. I wish they'd see the error of their ways, but there's no reasoning with these people...they even booed TFG when he announced he's been boosted.

Sorry for the rant, just venting I suppose. Hope you and yours (and the shelties) are well.

[SheltieLover]

48. Same here! Pfizer x 3 & been in 3M N95s for nearly 2 yrs.

I feel the same way!

[ProfessorGAC]

28. It Appears The ACA Prevents It

Unless, of course, some company tries to make the case that avoiding prevention does not constitute a preexisting condition.
The giant companies that administer their own health care plans are not, however, bound by ACA.
That's why Delta, Kroger, & others can add the surcharges for unvaxxed employee healthcare coverage.
While most here agree that the ACA has been a great success, this is one case where stupidity pays no price because the law hamstrings the insurers some.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

30. Stupid pesky laws that mean we have to treat the sick...

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Yep!

That law has done far more good than this inconvenience.

[AntivaxHunters]

2. For those interested in reading about this

There's an article here on this https://www.voanews.com/a/australia-considers-charging-unvaccinated-residents-for-covid-19-hospital-care/6366395.html & it seems to be one of the only sources who has this story.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. The Guardian reported that the same day as VOA

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/23/unethical-doctors-condemn-nsw-government-for-considering-charging-unvaccinated-patients-for-covid-care

It appears to be a NSW thing right now (as the largest populated state in the country).

[AntivaxHunters]

13. Thanks!

I didn't see the Guardian listed in a search.
This will be interesting to see how this plays out considering the upcoming federal election in Oz

[BumRushDaShow]

18. NSW had been pushing back against the "Zero COVID" strategy since their late-winter (August)

Zero COVID 'just not possible', NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says


7.30 / By Leigh Sales and Myles Wearring
Posted Mon 23 Aug 2021 at 5:10am
Monday 23 Aug 2021 at 5:10am


New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has reiterated her view that the Delta variant has made a zero-COVID target "completely unrealistic", and all states and territories must learn to live with it when borders eventually reopen. But she refused to put a figure on how many cases and deaths were expected when NSW opened up.

In an interview with 7.30, Ms Berejiklian said she disagreed with other premiers such as Mark McGowan and Daniel Andrews who said a zero-COVID target was still viable. "It's completely unrealistic. I don't know any state or nation on the planet who abides by those rules," she said. "It's just not possible. We can't pretend we're extra special or very different from other places.

"There are opportunities for us to do everything we can to suppress the cases, to reduce the number of people we end up having in hospital, but also accept that every state's going to have to go through a transition. "That's just how the virus works. No amount of government intervention or lockdown is going to get you to zero cases."

This morning Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned state and territory leaders to be prepared for case numbers to rise once 70 to 80 per cent of the population was vaccinated and the country opened up. "We must adjust our mindset. Cases will not be the issue … dealing with serious illness, hospitalisation, ICU capabilities, our ability to respond in those circumstances, that will be our goal," he said.

More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-23/zero-covid-just-not-possible-gladys-berejiklian-says/100400692

NSW Health did tweet this yesterday -

Link to tweet

NSW Health
@NSWHealth
To Thursday 23 December 2021 across NSW, 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 93.5 per cent have received two doses.
Image
7:04 PM · Dec 25, 2021

And the presser -

Link to tweet

NSW Health
@NSWHealth
·
Dec 25, 2021
Replying to @NSWHealth
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative test result.
NSW Health
@NSWHealth
There are more than 450 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit COVID-19 clinics or contact your GP.

Video of today’s update is available here:
COVID-19 Update 26 December 2021 - Captions
This is "COVID-19 Update 26 December 2021 - Captions" by NSW Health on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
7:05 PM · Dec 25, 2021

(DU has a number of posters from Australia who post here)

[lark]

3. I enthusiastically support this!

I also support helping the hospital workers by not admitting folks if they are unvaccinated and eligible. I also support company's drastically raising the cost of insurance for the unvaxxed. But actually, I support the right of business to fire unvaxxed idiots. and hate that the expanded courts in FL from Scott have ruled for Death Sentence and the killing of our population.

Edit - fixed confusion

[Hortensis]

5. "Considering" now. New Zealand's liberal government just ruled this out,

while Australia's more conservative-dominated government debates. Of course, conservatives overall tend to be less likely to believe healthcare should be a universal right and to place more emphasis on personal responsibility for self. This is one of the situations that underlines the need for personal responsibility and the negative side of government protecting people from it, of course. NZ's vax rate's in the low 90%s, Australia's apparently in the low 80%s.

In 1946, the World Health Organisation adopted its constitution, which states: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”

The right to health is also central to the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights. There are three guiding principles of the charter. In addition to stating that everyone has a right to access healthcare, as well as the highest possible standard of physical and mental healthcare, it states: “Australia is a society made up of people with different cultures and ways of life, and the Charter acknowledges and respects these differences.”

Jacinda Ardern says her government won’t deny health care or charge unvaccinated New Zealanders more for hospital stays, even as they dominate hospitalisations.

“Some people are making decisions having either been targeted or in receipt of information that’s just wrong,” she said. For those who are really working hard on vaccines and encouraging vaccines, it’s because we want people to be safe and the best thing we can do is get them vaccinated. For those who are strongly opposed to vaccines - it’s because they think that’s keeping people safe. So actually, what’s motivating people often isn’t ill-will. I hope with time we’ll come through that. I hope with time people will see the benefit of vaccines, and they’ll change their minds.”

[Alexander Of Assyria]

7. New Zealand ruled this out cause the Covid has been eliminated, sir, I heard.

[Hortensis]

17. The prime minister announced that they would

not be doing it. That means there is some call for it there also. Probably that over 90% are vaccinated has created more societal disapproval for those who aren't. They've had a bunch of mandatory controls there.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

41. I believe what is happening is the hospitizations are so low overall the country can afford to

be kind to the few idiots who did not get vaccinated. The rare unvaccinated deluded folks appear to have been shunned more or less, and nothing more or less needs to be done.

[Celerity]

22. it is not the national Australian government, it is the New South Wales state government

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/23/unethical-doctors-condemn-nsw-government-for-considering-charging-unvaccinated-patients-for-covid-care

[Hortensis]

26. Thanks. Imo, good that it's just one of the states. Like us.

[Busterscruggs]

6. Australia

Is doing everything right in this pandemic. I'm curious if they could put all of the unvaccinated on an island to isolate them from the responsible General population. They would eventually die of covid in peace just as they intended

[AZSkiffyGeek]

34. That sounds kind of final

I’m not sure that solution is a great idea. I think someone proposed something similar in the past, and it didn’t end well.

[Busterscruggs]

45. It's just so tough

Seeing these nut jobs spreading disease and who knows what else amongst the rest of us

[malaise]

8. Most excellent

Rec

[Celerity]

20. the tweets are inaccurate, and from a bad, bad source sis

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=myposts

[malaise]

21. Thanks

[Celerity]

23. Happy Boxing Day!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Australia doesn't believe in free dumb

[Sherman A1]

15. Long overdue

wish we would do the same in the US.

[Celerity]

19. typical non documented and misleading Occupy Democrats misinformation

It is not all of Australia, it is NSW, and it is far from a done deal, and is receiving fierce blowback from doctors, etc

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/23/unethical-doctors-condemn-nsw-government-for-considering-charging-unvaccinated-patients-for-covid-care

Occupy Democrats is a very poor source to rely on for most things, they have a dodgy AF track record and also try and hijack actual news reporting and claim it as their own


https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/occupy-democrats/

[AZSkiffyGeek]

33. Great way to draw the local authoritarians out of the woodwork thpugh

[Celerity]

37. no, it is just misinformation from a poor source

[AZSkiffyGeek]

38. Still

It’s letting the people who don’t want to give medical care to people they don’t like (or ship em off to die on an island) show their faces.

[Celerity]

39. fair enough point

[AZSkiffyGeek]

40. (I agree about the shitty source too, btw)

They don’t just publish misinformation, they steal creative content without credit.

[Celerity]

42. +1

https://www.politifact.com/personalities/occupy-democrats/

[cadoman]

24. great news, and great policy!

Hopefully we'll have the courage to bring this sort of sensible health regulation to the US soon.

Their rights to freedumb end where our right to safety begins, and their not being vaccinated endangers our safety EVERYWHERE!

Essentially, the right wing gqp are walking around with a loaded gun pointed at all of us, all the time! They must be stopped, especially with Omicron on the rampage!

[Bird Lady]

25. I support it 100% nt

[roamer65]

27. Absofuckinglutely.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

47. 20% of large companies were considering raising insurance premiums for their unvaccinated employees

Link to tweet

?s=20