1. Fears $7 co-payment will lead to deaths
Doctors have warned that the $7 co-payment to be announced in tomorrow’s budget will “hurt the poorest and the weakest’’.
The Australian reports that there are fears the co-payment – which would be paid to bulk billing doctors – will see patients clogging hospital emergency wards with patients who had skipped check-ups and could not afford to see a GP, and could even lead to deaths.
According to the newspaper, Medicare data reveals that patients’ out-of-pocket costs have doubled in the past decade.
2. Agencies in budget scrap heaps
News Limited report that the Royal Australian Mint and Defence Housing Australia will be among more than 70 government agencies to be sold, scrapped or merged in tomorrow’s budget.
ASIC’s corporate file registry will be sold and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the National Water Commission dismantled.
The National Gallery and National Library will also merge their back-office administrations.
3. Pollies pay freeze
It has been revealed that the inclusion of a pay freeze of politicians and senior bureaucrats in tomorrow’s budget was a last minute add-in.
Fairfax Media report that Employment Minister Eric Abetz only sent the request to the Remuneration Tribunal late on Friday.
4. Father reunited with daughter
A QLD girl who was abducted on Saturday night from her home has been found safe.
The two-year-old girl was located at Archerfield in the city’s south last night.
A 21-year-old woman and 42-year-old man will appear in an Ipswich court today over the abduction.
5. #Bringbackourgirls
The UK PM has joined the social media campaign to #Bringbackourgirls.
In an interview on the BBC, David Cameron held up the sign – following in the footsteps of Michelle Obama.
The UK has offered support to do whatever they can to find the missing girls.
Mr Cameron later tweeted: “Proud to support #BringBackOurGirls.
6. Gunmen open fire on toddler’s birthday party
Gunmen have killed a man and wounded six people, including a seven-year-old child, when they opened fire on a toddler’s birthday party in California.
Reuters reports that it might have been a gang-related shooting.
7. Sperm donor laws
The NSW Government have announced plans to force fertility clinics to hand over information about anonymous sperm donors so children can learn about their genetic origins.
According to Fairfax Media, Health Minister Jillian Skinner plans to establish a central, government-run register of sperm donor records, allowing offspring to apply for non-identifying information about their donor fathers.
This could include medical history, ethnicity and physical characteristics such as eye and hair colour.
8. Lesbian couple custody battle
A custody battle over a six-month-old baby in the UK has caused a judge to issue a stark warning to parents using donated sperm.
The two women – both of whom were breastfeeding the baby — split after an 18-month relationship.
For more, read this post here.
9. Call for national allergy register
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia has called for a national register to track fatalities and severe reactions to food allergies.
With one in 10 babies suffering a food allergy before their first birthday, the group says they fear there could be more cases the community is unaware of.
News Limited report that the group also wants food allergies to be made a national health priority so it gets more resources.
10. Women branded mentally ill when they have PMT
Hundreds of women, who are actually suffering from an extreme form of PMT, are being mis-diagnosed with psychological disorders.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is brought on by a hormonal imbalance. The symptoms include PMT’s physical symptoms – headaches, bloating and abdominal, breast and back pain — but PMDD causes dominant emotional symptoms as well. These include panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, frequent crying, anger, feelings of being out of control and trouble thinking.
It can affect up to five per cent of women.
The Daily Mail reports that in the UK many GPs have never heard of the disorder and simply dismiss women’s complaints.
11. Father rapes his long-lost daughter
A father has been jailed for raping the adult daughter he had been reunited with via a reality TV show.
The two were contestants on a Spanish reality television program called El Diario de Patricia. The father said he had not seen his daughter since 1966.
The pair met up and according to evidence before the court, he began sexually abusing her. After several meetings, the father raped the woman.
A court in Malaga yesterday jailed the father for seven years.
12. High intensity interval training study
A study published in the Journal of Obesity has shown that high intensity interval training does nothing to help shift abdominal fat.
The study showed that overweight and inactive people who performed interval training for 24 minutes three days a week gained 0.7 per cent abdominal fat over a twelve-week period.
However, those in the study who performed traditional aerobic exercise lost 2.7 per cent of their abdominal fat over a twelve-week period.
It did, however, confirm that interval training improved fitness.
13. Marriage stress more likely to kill men
It found endless fighting with a spouse can in fact be the death of you, especially if you are out of work.
The risks are much greater if you are a man.
What news are you talking about today?
Top Comments
Geez some of the comments about the budget cuts are amazing... It's ok if a promise is broken as long as it doesn't affect me! Yeah ? Is that what we've come to as a society?? What about caring about the impact on those less fortunate? The government supported by the media have left a litany of broken promises in its wake. Where are the cries of 'liar liar'. People are unbelievably selfish. There is no such thing as altruism anymore and it makes sad. Tony Abbott is the most uninspiring and deceitful PM we've ever had. No integrity whatsoever. US-style economy here we come. Rich get richer, poor get poorer. Yup, this is what Aussies voted for.
I'd be reluctant to call Tony Abbott the most deceitful we've had. Judging by some of the revelations in the Royal Commission against Union Corruption today, we may still unearth some very damaging information about Julia Gillard.
I doubt it - this 'rumour' has been doing the rounds for years, spread about almost single handedly by Andrew Bolt, who just cannot put it to bed despite having no evidence whatsoever. Don't hold your breath.
Im in 2 camps with the dr copay. In the yes camp it will stop alot of non essential visits. As an example the medical centre i go to is always full. EXCEPT on weekends and public holidays! Curious! Probably because alot of people dont need that drs certificate to not work the next day! They have pathology and xray there that are open on the weekends. The no camp is for the people on the aged pension who will simply not be able to afford the visits. I guess we will see how it plays out. But i do think we need to pay something. The bulk bill rate is like $36.70 for a visit