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Happy and healthy...

Oh the bloody cheek of it all. The private health companies are out to suck more money out of us. The biggest one, Medibank Private, wants to hike its fees by 13 per cent!

Now when inflation is low this seems a bit suspect. Have we seen major improvements in service? Not on your bloody nellie, just the same old crap when trying to get money back off them.

Now I'm very happy to see that the Prime Minister has jumped on the suggestion with both feet and reminded the health swine that the government has forced enough people to take out private health cover to make it exceedingly profitable.

I have a nasty fear that all the age penalties placed on new customers have given the health insurance industry a captive market and it thinks it can screw them to beyond the grave.

I tell you what; if private health companies want to cut their costs they should use their brains rather than those of the bean counters. Every time they bump up the prices of their policies, the higher the blood pressure of those that receive them.

And, for a chap of my ancientness, that can be very dangerous. So, before you hike prices by exorbitant amounts, you greedy pricks, just remember there are hundreds of thousands out there who'll be in intensive care costing you even more bucks.

If there is something that has really got up your nose, let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com