工党针对65岁以上人群私人健康保险回扣的有争议的变更，本周在面临广泛谴责后，实际上已在议会中被否决。
Labor's controversial changes to the private health insurance rebate for over-65s were effectively thrown out of parliament this week after facing widespread condemnation.
该提案原定于2027年4月生效，预计在四年内为联邦预算节省30亿澳元。
The proposal would have taken effect from April 2027, and was projected to claw back $3bn in savings for the federal budget over four years.
根据现行规则，65岁及以上人士的健康保险保费回扣高于收入相近的年轻人。
Under the current rules, people who are 65 or older currently receive a larger rebate on their health insurance premiums compared with young people on similar incomes.
周三下午，联盟党与独立参议员杰基·兰比在上院联手，使该草案立法被撤回。
The Coalition teamed up with the independent senator Jacqui Lambie in the upper house on Wednesday afternoon to have the draft legislation discharged.
这一不寻常的联盟还得到了绿党和其他无党派议员的加入，绿党表示，如果修正案豁免领取养老金的人，将支持工党的改革。澳大利亚约一半65岁以上人士领取养老金。
The unusual alliance was joined by the Greens and other crossbenchers, with the minor party offering Labor support for the reforms in return for an amendment exempting pensioners. About half of over-65s in Australia receive the age pension.
卫生部长马克·巴特勒表示，跨年龄群体实行统一回扣所节省的资金，将用于每年新增5000个养老床位，他次日将该提案——未作任何修改——重新提交议会。
The health minister, Mark Butler has said the savings from bringing in a flat rebate across age groups would provide funding for an additional 5,000 aged care beds each year, and reintroduced the proposed changes – without amendment – to the parliament the following day.
私人健康保险折扣的全部预计成本，本财年将使纳税人承担79亿澳元。购买私人健康保险并非强制性，但政府不仅通过回扣，还通过包括医疗保险附加费和终身健康保险附加费在内的处罚措施，鼓励人们投保。
The health insurance discount in its entirety is expected to cost taxpayers $7.9bn this financial year It isn't compulsory to have private health insurance, but membership is incentivised by the government not only via rebates, but through penalties including the Medicare levy surcharge and lifetime health cover loadings.
私人健康保险分为两种：住院治疗保险和一般治疗保险，即“附加险”。两者可以单独投保，也可以组合投保。
There are two types of private health insurance: hospital treatment cover and general treatment cover, known as extras. They can be taken out as individual or combined policies.
超过一半人口（55.5%）拥有某种形式的一般治疗保险。约45%的人拥有住院治疗保险。什么是私人健康保险回扣？这是政府提供的资助，帮助人们支付私人健康保险的费用。
More than half the population (55.5%) had some form of general treatment cover. Some 45% were covered by hospital treatment policies. What is the private health insurance rebate? It's a government contribution to help people with the cost of their private health insurance.
要申领返还款，人员必须符合医疗保险（Medicare）资格，并持有澳大利亚注册健康保险公司提供的符合要求的健康保险单。他们还必须具有用于附加费用途的收入，低于最高门槛。
To claim the rebate, people must be eligible for Medicare and have a complying health insurance policy with an Australian-registered health insurer. They must also have an income for surcharge purposes that is less than the highest threshold.
在2026–27财年，单身人士获得返还款的最高收入门槛为164,000澳元，家庭为328,000澳元。
In 2026–27, the highest income threshold to receive a rebate for singles is $164,000, and for families, $328,000.
返还款可以全年以保费减免的形式领取，也可以在申报税款时以可退还的一次性付款形式领取。有哪些提出的变更？
The rebate can be claimed as either reduced premiums throughout the year, or a refundable lump sum when you lodge your tax return. What are the proposed changes?
返还款最初由霍华德政府于1999年推出，随后该政府在2005年为年长澳大利亚人引入了更高的返还款。
The rebate was first introduced by the Howard government in 1999, which then introduced higher rebates for older Australians in 2005.
这使得65至69岁人群的返还款提高至35%，70岁及以上人群的返还款提高至40%。
This increased the rebate to 35% for people aged 65 to 69 years, and 40% for people aged 70 and above.
吉拉德政府随后在2012年实施了收入审查，自2012年4月1日起每年公布门槛和返还款水平，但对65岁以上人群的更高折扣仍然保留。目前，未满65岁人群的基础档次返还款为24.118%，而65至69岁人群为28.139%，70岁以上人群为32.158%。
Income testing was then implemented by the Gillard government in 2012, with thresholds and rebate levels published each year from 1 April, but the higher discounts for over-65s remained in place. The current base tier rebate for under-65s is 24.118%, compared with 28.139% for 65 to 69-year-olds, and 32.158% for over-70s.
联邦政府认为，取消对65岁以上人群的更高折扣将使系统更加公平。存在什么问题？
The federal government argues removing the higher discount for over-65s will make the system fairer. What's the problem?
该变更将影响超过300万65岁及以上人士，预计将使这些年长澳大利亚人每年因保费上涨而多花约250澳元。对于保费更昂贵的保单，这一费用可能更高。
The change will affect more than 3 million people aged 65 and over, and is expected to cost those older Australians about $250 a year each in higher premiums. For people with more expensive policies, this could be higher.
预计将有超过120万领取养老金的人士受到政府提案的影响，引发人们在生活成本危机中对负担能力和医疗可及性的担忧。
More than 1.2 million pensioners are expected to be affected by the government's proposal, raising concerns about affordability and access in a cost-of-living crisis.
由于返还款削减，根据自由信息法公布的卫生部门建模显示，预计到2028–29财年，将有近8万名年长澳大利亚人放弃私人健康保险。
As a result of the rebate cut, almost 80,000 older Australians are expected to dump their private health cover by 2028-29, according to health department modelling released under freedom of information laws.
各州及领地政府强烈反对这一政策变动，并警告称：今后将有大量无力承担私人医疗保险费用的人涌入公共医疗体系，从而给本就不堪重负的医疗服务系统带来更大压力。这项立法草案能否获得通过？
The states and territories have slammed the change, and warn there will be an influx of people in the public system who can no longer afford private health cover, placing already strained services under even more pressure. Will the draft legislation pass?
工党在参议院并不占多数席位，因此必须通过争取绿党或反对党的支持才能使法案顺利通过。
Labor does not have a majority in the Senate, which means it needs the support of either the Greens or the Coalition to pass bills.
绿党领袖大卫·舒布里奇表示，如果政府同意将领取养老金者排除在取消高额医保补贴的范围之外，绿党愿意给予支持。目前两党仍在进行磋商，而今年剩余的议会会期已所剩无几。
The Greens leader, David Shoebridge, has offered his party's support to the government, should it agree to the condition of pensioners being exempted from scrapping the higher rebates. Negotiations are continuing between the two parties, with only a limited number of parliamentary sitting weeks left in the year.
反对党则反对削减医保补贴，不过也表示欢迎将养老金领取者排除在政策调整范围之外。
The Coalition is opposing the rebate cut but has said it would welcome pensioners being excluded.