The Coalition and Labor have both promised to expand access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card following the Federal election, giving an extra 50,000 older Australians access at an estimated cost of $70 million over four years.
The card, available to Australians over 67 years of age with assets too high for the Age Pension, currently gives around 436,000 people access to cheaper prescription medicines and Medicare services. From July 1, the singles income test for eligibility will expand from just under $58,000 per year to $90,000, and the couples test from $92,000 to $144,000.
Announcing the plan, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was the first major change to the income threshold – outside indexation – in more than 20 years.
“Every dollar counts, especially for older Australians who are no longer working.
“Senior Australians have worked hard to make Australia all that it is today, and it’s important that the country takes care of them in return,” he said.
Labor has jumped on board with the idea, with Linda Burney, Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services, saying on Twitter that the Opposition would deliver on the same commitment as the Government if elected this month.
“We’re not interested in playing politics when we see a good idea. But this government has a habit of offering things to pensioners at election time but cutting support at budget time.
“They have continually tried to lift the pension age to 70, and when Scott Morrison was in charge he took 90,000 seniors off the pensioner concession card,” she said.
