My response to the federal budget - and a listing of all the treatments, procedures, and investigations I've received in the past year, largely free of charge, thanks to Medicare

Treasurer Joe Hockey at the National Press Club today: "Australians need to take personal responsibility for their health"

Dear Joe

I spent most of the day after the budget in tears at the cruelty and lack of compassion displayed by your government. If we didn't have Medicare in its current form, Ben and I would probably be bankrupt by now, and I'd be dead, leaving my two children without a mother. This is because I was diagnosed with early breast cancer in January last year, and the was found to have two aggressive brain tumours after the breast cancer treatment finished last August. 

When you say that we need to take personal responsibility for our health, what do you mean? Do you mean that we're not doing that already? Don't you understand that people generally try to get their health problems sorted by going to the GP, which is essential in early diagnosis and treatment, in preventative health and in management of chronic disease. 

In regional centres like Launceston, there is already a shortage of GPs, and very few bulk-bill. The ones who do bulk-bill are taking a pay cut because they understand the financial pressures on their patients - now you want to punish the patients for having compassionate doctors?

I imagine that most Australians have little understanding of how wonderful our universal healthcare system is. I've worked in public health for over 20 years, but I didn't appreciate the excellence and efficiency of the service provided until I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January last year.

In the past year, I've had: a mastectomy and 6 cycles of chemotherapy for early breast cancer; about 12 admissions to the emergency department of the local public hospital (each triage in emergency costs about $600) and have spent about 100 days in hospital, each acute bed day costing about $1700 per patient. Six of those admissions were with life-threatening febrile neutropenia requiring treatment with IV antibiotics. I've had 5 operations requiring general anaesthesia (including 2 rounds of neurosurgery worth about $26,000 each); another requiring a local anaesthetic for the removal of my first infusaport that got infected; another GA to insert a second infusaport. I've taken countless medications largely covered by the PBS; more than a dozen chest x-rays; several CT scans; innumerable blood tests; over 50 injections of GCSF (to keep my bone marrow working and prevent further life-threatening infections) that would have cost us $2000 each in the US (50 x $2000 - do the maths yourself). There have also been two mammograms and 3 ultrasounds; 2 breast MRIs (costing us over $1000 in total because they're not covered by medicare); 7 MRIs of my brain (worth about $600 each but free thanks to Medicare); a bone marrow biopsy to try to work out what was wrong with my blood counts; & three private hospital admissions (for the mastectomy and two rounds of brain surgery). I have also needed several blood transfusions, and went through radiotherapy for my breast and brain tumours. I've just been discharged from hospital following a bowel obstruction, requiring a colonoscopy to rule out adhesions or bowel cancer. And my most recent mammogram suggests that I may have more cancer in my other breast. The MRI suggests it's non-invasive, but I 'm not keen on taking the risk. My body can't cope with more chemotherapy, so I'm planning a prophylactic mastectomy when I'm feeling strong enough. While Medicare would cover the cost of bilateral breast reconstruction after breast cancer, I've had more than enough surgery for one lifetime, so I won't be getting new boobs, even if they are free. All the costs that I'm aware of is at least $337,400, but I don't know the cost of the surgeries, the X-rays, CTs, mammograms, biopsies, pathology, and medication.

Thanks to our universal healthcare system we have hardly had to pay anything - just a small amount for PBS-listed medications, and for private physiotherapy for lymphedema in my left arm. It means we don't have financial worries on top of my health problems, and my income-protection insurance means that we are incredibly lucky to be able to afford $1174 per month on a non-PBS listed drug that has been shown to significantly improve survival rates in my highly aggressive and incurable brain cancer. (And that cost is half-price, thanks to Roche giving it to us on compassionate grounds)

This kind of care and lack of financial hardship has been available because of Medicare,  which allows for people to access the healthcare they need, when they need it, at minimal cost. You can't predict when people are going to need healthcare like I've received (I hope no-one goes through my experience), and it should continue to be available to everyone, irrespective of their ability to pay.

In saying that we need to take personal responsibility for our health, are you saying that the 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men who will develop cancer in their lifetimes are somehow responsible for it, or that they should have to pay for their treatments themselves? I guess it will be cheaper for the government if they do, as they won't be able to afford to, and won't live as long.

My doctors were astounded when I was found to have two primary brain tumours after my breast cancer treatment was over - no-one could have predicted it. And my frequent neutropenia was unexpected as well. Are you saying I need to be responsible for all of this? We pay our medicare levy and private health insurance, I've worked as a neuropsychologist in public health for more than 20 years seeing people with acquired brain injuries, stroke, epilepsy, dementia, and other neurological conditions. Are you saying they should be responsible for their health, when getting through the day is an enormous struggle for many of them. How much more responsible do people need to be?

I've been unlucky to have had all this happen to me, but I count myself very lucky to be still be alive and around for my boys, and to be living in a country where this kind of care is available to everyone, irrespective of their ability to pay.

I've been watching successive LNP governments all my life, and I am convinced that your ultimate aim is to dismantle Medicare and our universal healthcare system, replacing it with a user pays system like the cruel and ineffective one in the US. Why do you think Barak Obama has tried to set up a universal health care system like ours over there? (Hint: their system is broken.) People who can't afford to pay don't get treated, resulting in poor outcomes or death. This is clearly unacceptable, unless you have no compassion for your fellow Australians. People In the US  with private insurance face hefty copayments and wrangling with insurers for payments for various services. Medical expenses are the largest cause of bankruptcy in the US, just as they were here before the introduction of Medicare. This is why I'm writing, I see the copayments in the budget, and the axing of funding to states in health and education, as the thin edge of the wedge when it comes to dismantling universal healthcare in Australia. We can't allow this to happen, the costs to individuals, families, and society will be too great.

I imagine you have various insurance policies for your family, just in case you need elective surgery in a hurry, have a house fire, crash your car, get diagnosed with a critical illness, or are unable to work for a period of time. You expect your insurers to look after you if the unexpected happens. Being uninsured would be too much of a gamble even for someone on your salary.  This is what our universal healthcare is for, to cover every Australian who needs it, despite their level of income or personal wealth. It is paid for by the community, and the government's job is to strengthen and protect it for current and future generations. Not to undermine and dismantle it.

If you want to raise more money for Medicare, raise the Medicare levy by a small percentage - this will be less painful than hitting poor people with copayments. If you want to raise more money for the state-administered hospitals, axe the private health insurance rebate and stop making it compulsory, and put the savings into hospitals. 

I'm sorry Joe, but either you don't understand that our universal healthcare system is the envy of the developed world, or you are an idealogue with no compassion, apart from caring for the handouts to your party from Rinehart, Murdoch, and other big businesses who don't care about the welfare of other people. Even Gina and Rupert would probably balk at the true cost of treatment for cancer if they knew what it was.

It galls me that so many in your party claim to be Christians. Your budget is the kind of behaviour that Jesus spoke against. Take a good hard look at yourself, LNP, and leave universal healthcare, Medicare and the PBS alone.

BTW, history shows us that recessions always follow the introduction of austerity measures - take Thatcher, Regan, Bush, Bush and the european countries. It's a shame that our distance doesn't give you a sense of perspective.