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NSW Government Is Considering Making Unvaccinated People Pay For Their Medical Care

NSW Government Is Considering Making Unvaccinated People Pay For Their Medical Care

But the idea has been slammed by the Australian Medical Association as being deeply unethical.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The New South Wales government has admitted it is looking into a plan to make unvaccinated people pay for their medical care.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said a proposal is being considered to force those who haven't received the coronavirus vaccine to fork out for any hospital costs associated with Covid-19.

In a statement, the Minister told 2GB Radio: "This is an option under consideration by the NSW Government."

There have been loads of calls for this to happen during the pandemic as a stick method into getting people to get the jab, however this is the first time the government has actually confirmed it could happen.

No details have emerged about how such a program would work and what services unvaccinated people would be required to pay for.

It has caught the eyes and ears of the Australian Medical Association and they are not happy.

AMA President Omar Korshid said the theory is severely unethical.

He's told Guardian Australia: "The big issue from a medical point of view is that it's really not ethical or the right thing to do to limit access to healthcare based on people's previous health choices.

"If you follow that same logic, are you going to ask smokers to pay for their healthcare?

"I think it would be a real shame if through this pandemic we lose our compassion, we lose our humanity, and our care for fellow Australians, even if they've made choices we think are unwise or incorrect or even completely antisocial."

The AMA President has questioned whether the idea would even be legal under Australia's legislation.

He added that if an unvaccinated patient ended up in an ICU ward then the cost of their treatment would be 'astronomical'.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected the concept on a national level because 'we don't have a mandatory vaccination policy as a federal government'.

He added that they didn't want to 'demonise' those who haven't had a Covid-19 jab for whatever reason.

Former NSW Premier Bob Carr kicked off the conversation about unvaxxed residents paying for their own treatment after Singapore brought in a similar rule.

He wrote on Twitter: "Follow Singapore and legislate no medical or hospital expenses to be reimbursed to people who are not vaccinated without medical justification and then contract Covid.

"You ignored warnings and got the disease. You pay for your wilful stupidity, not the rest of us."

The proposal would only target a very small population of the state, with NSW boasting a fully vaccinated rate of 93.4 per cent.

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Topics: Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia