It’s a bit about the psychology of poverty as well, in that the societal view of being poor has an undercurrent of victim blaming, and individuals can take on that and feel a sense of guilt and shame. Even more so with people on welfare, although the article didn’t address it directly.
It does. Our healthcare is subsidised by the government. A visit to the doctor isn’t free, though - as most (almost all) doctors charge more for a consult than what the government covers. Someone struggling financially as much as the author of this article should be eligible for a Health Care Card though, which should give an almost 100% discount on all things medical.
I don’t know that the point of the article was healthcare specifically, or more of a “people are poor, yo!” piece. Because ultimately there are times where people do genuinely struggle financially and may not avail themselves of all the support services the government provides, because they see their circumstances as temporary, or are too embarrassed to admit they need help or other personal reasons.
vividspecter@lemm.ee 6 months ago
Nath@aussie.zone 6 months ago
I know that for myself, when I’ve been between jobs (sometimes for a month or two at a time) over the years, I haven’t bothered dealing with Centrelink etc, because the dole wouldn’t even cover my rent. I just lived off savings and got myself back out there. Also had help from family a couple of times.
Ilandar@aussie.zone 6 months ago
Did you mean “should” as in “should in a perfect world”? Because the Health Care Card definitely does not get anywhere close to providing a 100% discount on healthcare.