Australia to consider charging unvaccinated residents for COVID-19 hospital care

New South Wales, Australia has proposed charged unvaccinated with the medical costs from Covid-19. 

The New South Wales government is saying that unvaccinated patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19 have cost tax payers a lot of money because they were irresponsible.

This proposal has angered doctors and politicians who point out that Australian healthcare is free and universal.

State Transportation Minister, David Elliott, said, “there are already two classes in the hospital system, because you have the unvaccinated, which are, because they do not take responsibility for their actions, and you received vaccines there, which have a real need for medical care.” However, the Australian Medical Association called the idea “enethical” and likely illegal.

“We can make all kinds of judgements about people who smoke or have unhealthy lifestyles, and the unvaccinated will be a large cohort of people who may have low health literacy, and we know that some of our indigenous communities have low vaccination rates, that would be unethical procedure,” says Dr. Karen Price, President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

New South Wales has reported 5,715 Covid-19 cases as of Thursday, which is the new daily record in Australia. Testing clinics were overwhelmed before the holidays, as people rushed to get tested. Booster shots first became mandatory in Western Australia for certain parts of the population. Nearly 90% of eligible Australians have been fully vaccinated.