NSW: Voters unconvinced by Medicare plan: poll

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2003
NSW: Voters unconvinced by Medicare plan: poll

SYDNEY, Dec 8 AAP - Fewer than one in five voters are convinced the government's new
$2.4 billion MedicarePlus package will be better for them, it was reported today.

A Newspoll survey last weekend found that people remained sceptical despite the Medicare
rescue plan being beefed up, The Australian newspaper reported.

The poll, commissioned by the newspaper, found 31 per cent felt they would be worse
off under the new deal, compared to only 18 per cent who said they felt they would be
better off.

About a quarter (23 per cent) thought they would not be affected either way and 28
per cent were undecided.

Still, the results are a vast improvement on polling in May, shortly after the original
plan to address the healthcare crisis was announced, when only one in 10 voters thought
they would be better off.

The government announced a $1.5 billion funding boost last month to its original $917
million plan.

The latest survey also found that the electorate was equally split as to whether the
new Medicare package would result in better or worse healthcare.

About 1,200 people took part in the telephone survey which posed questions to people
across all states.

AAP ceh/rs

KEYWORD: MEDICARE POLL

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