The debate about funding the health system opens with the premise that we must use every dollar of the budget as wisely as possible, putting the patient first.

Yes, very noble, but what does that actually mean?

It means the Federal Government has no desire to do any of the risky, hard electoral work, such as enacting the immediately obvious solution of increasing the Medicare levy.

The government approach ignores the two enormous elephants in the room: a rapidly ageing population with complex healthcare needs, and a shrinking pool of young workers willing to pay for the care needed.