thread: Medicare & Tax - help me to understand!

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  1. #1
    BellyBelly Member

    Mar 2007
    Perth
    2,088

    Thanks Liz, that website link you provided helped alot too. However still a tad confused as to whether we are classed as a family, as DH does earn over the $70,000 as an individual & although I work p/time we dont make over $140,000 as a family. So would DH still pay the surcharge as an individual or would they class us as a family coming in under the threshold iykwim?

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jun 2005
    Blue Mountains
    5,086

    I would think you'd be under the family threshold. But if that's the case.. not sure why you've been paying surcharge? Altho I think it's only this current year that has the higher thresholds. i think it was $100,000 for families last year.

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Member

    Mar 2007
    Perth
    2,088

    Ohh ok that would have been why

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    In my own private paradise
    15,272

    you only need to have basic hospital cover - for DH and I even top level cover is about $80 a month, we get 30% of that rebated (standard thing) and if our income is over that limit mentioned, we don't have to pay the extra. you're going to pay the 1.5% or whatever it is regardless, so it's just the extra amount.

    we pay our premiums fortnightly and honestly don't notice it. DH was 30 when we went into PHI so we pay more for that due to his age. we're under the family threshold now so we don't NEED to have PHI to avoid that premium, but the benefits we've had over the past few years (IVF, both had major dental surgery in private system etc) have far outweighed the costs to us. the dental surgeries we've had would have had to be either out of pocket entirely, or at least 18 month wait (as opposed to the 1 and 2 month waits we had...

  5. #5
    BellyBelly Member

    Mar 2007
    Perth
    2,088

    Hmm I've wanted health cover all along, but DH says no & now seeing as we dont earn over the $140,000 he definately wouldnt go for it. So we have to pay the normal 1.5%, if we earnt over the $140,000 we would pay the surcharge & therefore phi would be worthwhile. So I think I've got my head around it, bummer I want to get phi!