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Should I drop my private health insurance during the pandemic?

  • Written by: Sophie Lewis, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW
Should I drop my private health insurance during the pandemic?Shutterstock

Many Australians, especially those experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19, are asking whether they can afford to keep their private health insurance.

Others don’t know if they should drop or downgrade their cover, especially if they cannot or don’t want to access services they’ve paid for.

Now consumer group...

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That estimate of 6.6 million Australians on JobKeeper, it tells us how it can be improved

  • Written by: Roger Wilkins, Professorial Fellow and Deputy Director (Research), HILDA Survey, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne
That estimate of 6.6 million Australians on JobKeeper, it tells us how it can be improvedShutterstock

JobKeeper is by “no means perfect”. Treasury Secretary Stephen Kennedy used those exact words when he appeared before a Senate committee on COVID-19 on Tuesday, going on to observe that getting it right would “require continuous work”.

We have dug into the JobKeeper numbers to work out how it could be improved.

That estimate of 6.6 million Australians on JobKeeper, it tells us how it can be improvedRoo...

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Katy Gallagher on the Senate's coronavirus watchdog

  • Written by: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Labor’s Katy Gallagher is chair of the Senate committee that will assess the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, both its economic and health challenges. It is set for the deep dive, having a final reporting date of mid-2022.

With parliament currently sitting only in fits and starts, Gallagher considers the committee a...

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Can't go outside? Even seeing nature on a screen can improve your mood

  • Written by: Cris Brack, Associate Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
Can't go outside? Even seeing nature on a screen can improve your moodDamon Hall/Unsplash, CC BY

Are you feeling anxious or irritated during the coronavirus lockdown? Do you constantly want to get up and move? Maybe you need a moment to engage with nature.

Getting into the great outdoors is difficult at right now. But our research soon to be published in Australian Forestry shows you can improve your mood by...

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More Articles …

  1. why can't people hear in their sleep?
  2. How will the class of COVID-19 get into university? Using year 11 results is only part of the answer
  3. Mobile phones are covered in germs. Disinfecting them daily could help stop diseases spreading
  4. 250 years since Captain Cook landed in Australia, it's time to acknowledge the violence of first encounters
  5. how Captain Cook blundered his first impression with Indigenous people
  6. teachers say they lack confidence to teach Indigenous perspectives
  7. Captain James Cook and absent presence in First Nations art
  8. how Botany Bay was chosen over Africa as a new British penal colony
  9. My ancestors met Cook in Aotearoa 250 years ago. For us, it's time to reinterpret a painful history
  10. An honest reckoning with Captain Cook's legacy won't heal things overnight. But it's a start
  11. revisit Captain Cook’s legacy with the click of a mouse
  12. The stories of Tupaia and Omai and their vital role as Captain Cook's unsung shipmates
  13. for Indigenous people, Cook's voyage of 'discovery' was a ghostly visitation
  14. Botany and the colonisation of Australia in 1770
  15. Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia, and other myths from old school text books
  16. how re-enactments of the Endeavour's voyage perpetuate myths of Australia's 'discovery'
  17. Is God good? In the shadow of mass disaster, great minds have argued the toss
  18. Captain Cook wanted to introduce British justice to Indigenous people. Instead, he became increasingly cruel and violent
  19. why higher carbon dioxide levels isn't only good news even if some plants grow faster
  20. Physical distancing is here for a while – over 100 experts call for more safe walking and cycling space
  21. What is psoriatic arthritis, the condition Kim Kardashian West lives with?
  22. we'll need war bonds, and stimulus on a scale not seen in our lifetimes
  23. what it is and why Zali Steggall wants it investigated
  24. Evidence obesity is a risk factor for serious illness with coronavirus is mounting – even if you're young
  25. China-Australia relations hit new low in spat over handling of coronavirus
  26. East Arnhem Land artists respond to COVID-19 with the gift of music
  27. Cutting ‘green tape’ may be good politicking, but it’s bad policy. Here are 5 examples of regulation failure
  28. Using lots of plastic packaging during the coronavirus crisis? You're not alone
  29. Look beyond a silver bullet train for stimulus
  30. 90% out of work with one week’s notice. These 8 charts show the unemployment impacts of coronavirus in Australia
  31. How do we keep family violence perpetrators ‘in view’ during the COVID-19 lockdown?
  32. Cook’s voyages were part of a military mission to conquer and expand
  33. The NRL should reconsider its comeback: it's too soon
  34. Here are 5 ways to flatten the climate change curve while stuck at home
  35. Do I need to floss my teeth?
  36. If more of us work from home after coronavirus we'll need to rethink city planning
  37. Possible byelection looms in marginal seat of Eden-Monaro
  38. the government delivers on data security, but other issues remain
  39. a new word in the tiny (but growing) vocabulary for our emotional connection to the environment
  40. How to help young children regulate their emotions and behaviours during the pandemic
  41. Sydney Chamber Opera livestreams premiere
  42. Labor gains in Newspoll despite Morrison's continued approval surge; Trump's ratings slide
  43. how WWI and WWII spurred scientific innovation in Australia
  44. How Shinzo Abe has fumbled Japan's coronavirus response
  45. how outer urban areas can manage the emergency while reducing future risks
  46. Great time to try: baking sourdough bread
  47. How might coronavirus change Australia's 'Pacific Step-up'?
  48. Snowy 2.0 threatens to pollute our rivers and wipe out native fish
  49. Permanently raising the Child Care Subsidy is an economic opportunity too good to miss
  50. Reconnecting after coronavirus – 4 key ways cities can counter anxiety and loneliness

Business News

The Rise of Digital Marketplaces in the Australian Trade Sector

For decades, the Australian trade and construction sector operated almost entirely on word-of-mouth recommendations and local community networks. Small business owners typically relied on local newspa...

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How Immigration Lawyers Can Help

Introduction Visa decisions can shape employment, family life, study plans, travel, and future residence. A small omission can lead to delay, added expense, or refusal. Immigration lawyers assess l...

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How Industrial Drying Equipment Supports Efficient Processing

Many industrial processes require moisture to be removed from compressed air, products or process materials before they move to the next stage. Excess moisture can affect equipment performance, produc...

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Practical Ways a Whiteboard Can Improve Workplace Communication

Effective communication helps teams stay organised, share ideas and keep track of important information. While digital tools are now common in many workplaces, a whiteboard continues to provide a simp...

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Designing Eco-Friendly Custom Water Bottles for Your Next Event

The Evolution of Sustainable Event Merchandise Event planning has undergone a massive transformation over the last decade. Gone are the days when organizers could hand out cheap, single use plastic...

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Why Choosing a Professional Florist Melbourne Makes Flower Delivery Impactful

Flowers have a great power to speak when humans cannot express their feelings with right words. Flowers are the best gifts when you are celebrating a birthday or welcoming a newborn child into your fa...

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The Business Case for Choosing Australian Fabricators Over Imported Alternatives

For a long time, you might have defaulted to overseas suppliers when sourcing fabricated metal components for a project. The unit price was lower on paper, and the maths seemed straightforward. That...

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Australian organisations are relying on business continuity plans built for a far more predictable world

Tariff escalations, supply chain fragility, geopolitical events, and the ongoing threat of cyber disruption have reshaped the risk environment facing Australian organisations. The problem is that ma...

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How to Rent a Car for Uber in Melbourne: What Every New Driver Needs to Know

Starting out as an Uber driver in Melbourne is not as complicated as it sounds but getting the vehicle right is where most new drivers get stuck. Uber has strict requirements around vehicle age, condi...

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The Daily Magazine

South African Consular Services Expand to Six Australian Cities

South Africans living in Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra will now be able to access passport, identi...

How Long Does a Solar Home Battery Last? LFP Cycles and Warranty Explained

A battery does not usually reach its advertised cycle count and suddenly stop working. Capacity ch...

How to Hire a Nanny: A Complete Guide for Families

Finding the right childcare professional can make everyday family life easier and give parents gre...

The Blue-Collar Shortage Employers Can't Solve With More Applicants

Australia's hiring market has cooled considerably since the post-pandemic frenzy of 2021 and 2022. F...

The Playground as Classroom: How Line Markings Are Reinforcing What Students Learn Inside

For a long time, the playground was treated as a break from learning rather than part of it. A place...

How Technology Is Changing the Way Gardens Are Maintained

Garden maintenance has always been a hands on ritual. Mowing on a schedule, watering by instinct, an...

One Blocked Drain Can Become a Whole House Plumbing Problem: How It Happens

A blocked hand basin feels local. So does a slow shower. Homeowners naturally focus on the fixture...

AI in Marketing: From Experiment to Everyday Tool

For the past couple of years, artificial intelligence in marketing has mostly lived in the "let's se...

What Businesses Can Do to Make Sustainability More Practical Day to Day

Sustainability can sound like a huge corporate project, something tied to annual reports, long-term ...