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Private Health Insurance Rebate

20 Feb 2012

Q. The Government proposes to means test the private health insurance rebate, with reductions beginning for a single person earning more than $80,000 or families on $160,000. Singles earning more than $124,000 and families on more than $248,000 will not receive any of the rebate. Do you support or oppose means testing the heath insurance rebate for people on higher incomes?

Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Income less than $31,200 Income $31,200-$51,999 Income $52,000-$83,199 Income $83,200+
Total support 53% 76% 38% 65% 67% 63% 59% 45%
Total oppose 33% 13% 51% 19% 17% 23% 28% 46%
Strongly support 22% 46% 8% 22% 33% 23% 23% 21%
Support 31% 30% 30% 43% 34% 40% 36% 24%
Oppose 15% 9% 21% 13% 10% 12% 14% 19%
Strongly oppose 18% 4% 30% 6% 7% 11% 14% 27%
Don’t know 14% 11% 11% 15% 15% 15% 12% 10%

The majority of respondents support the means test on the private health insurance rebate for people on higher incomes (53%), with 33% opposed to the reform.

Those on low incomes of less than $31,200 per annum are the most likely to be in favour of the reform, with 67% supporting the means test.  Conversely, those on higher incomes (earning $83,200+ per annum) are the most likely to oppose the means test, with 46% against it and 45% in favour of it.

Looking at the results by voting intention, those most likely to be against the reform are Coalition voters with the majority opposing the means test (51%), whilst Labor voters are the most likely to be in favour of it (76%).  Greens voters trail 11 points behind Labor in favour of the reform at 65%.

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