Leading independent economist Saul Eslake has suggested unvaccinated Australians should pay a higher proportion of their medical bills if they fall ill with COVID-19.

Mr Eslake stressed to Ben Fordham such a policy would not amount to budget repair, nor would patients incur a “substantial” additional cost.

Instead, he drew a parallel with the Howard government policy forcing high income earners without private health insurance to pay a higher Medicare levy.

“The argument presumably being that … people who can afford but choose not to are in effect, putting an additional burden on the public health system, and they should make some contribution to the cost of it.

“If you make the choice not to be vaccinated, it doesn’t seem to me completely unreasonable that you’d be asked to make a small contribution.”

Press PLAY below to hear his ‘conversation starter’ in full

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