Health cover wealth test to hit millions MORE than 2.4 million Australians with private health insurance will be forced to find up to $935 extra a year for their premiums if the government can manoeuvre its means test for the 30 per cent rebate through parliament on its third attempt. As federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon conceded yesterday she might not secure support for the $2.9 billion budget savings measure, new figures revealed how many middle- and high-income policy holders could end up paying for the phased reduction of the rebate. The rebate will remain unchanged for 7.7 million people earning under the threshold, but about one in four policy holders will be affected. Figures released to The Australian show 940,000 individuals earning more than $80,000 a year, and couples and families on more than $160,000 a year, will have their 30 per cent rebate reduced to 20 per cent under the planned changes. About 770,000 single people earning more than $93,000 a year, and couples and families earning more than $186,000, will have their rebate cut to 10 per cent, while 740,000 singles earning more than $124,000 a year, and couples and families earning more than $248,000, will lose the rebate altogether. The Australian Health Insurance Association said affected policy holders would have to pay between $315 and $935 a year extra for health insurance as the rebate was reduced or withdrawn. Treasury modelling released on the weekend showed only 27,000 health fund members -- who would be hit by a 1-1.5 per cent Medicare levy surcharge -- would drop their insurance if the means test measure was passed by parliament. The government is battling to win support for the changes, with rural independents Bob Katter and Tony Windsor threatening to scuttle the measure in the House of Representatives, and Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie also expressing concerns. The fate of the key budget measure is expected to rest with West Australian independent Tony Crook, who fears it could increase the burden on public hospitals, and NSW independent Rob Oakeshott, who is yet to make up his mind. Ms Roxon first introduced the private health insurance changes in the 2009 budget, but the bill was twice rejected by the Senate. The measure is crucial to the government's push to balance the budget by 2012-13. Ms Roxon said yesterday the $4.7bn a year rebate was the fastest growing area of health expenditure, and if it could not be brought under control this would make it more difficult for the government to subsidise vital new medicines or fund other deserving health projects. "Tony Abbott needs to stop standing up for millionaires and start advocating for lower-income Australians who actually need this rebate," she said. The AHIA has produced research that shows 1.7 per cent cent of health fund members would drop their health insurance next year if the means test goes ahead, and that more would downgrade their cover. The research by consultancy group Deloitte suggests health fund premiums would rise by 10 per cent and public hospital waiting lists would surge by 400 per cent as a result of the means test.