MEDICAL POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Upfront payments for doctors

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Mar-15

The Australian Government is considering major changes to the Medicare system, and has widespread support among GPs for the proposed reforms. The key change under consideration is a shift to a system whereby GPs are paid an annual lump sum in advance to treat patients such as the chronically ill. This would allow the Government to abandon its controversial co-payment scheme. However, the Medicare rebate will remain at its current level until 2018

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, McKINSEY AND COMPANY

Bulk-billing link to short visit in doubt

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Original article by Kate Hagan
The Age – Page: 8 : 2-Feb-15

A new study on bulk billing under the Medicare system is being published in the "Medical Journal of Australia", by a team at the University of Technology, Sydney. The findings show that the use of bulk billing by general practitioners is not likely to trigger any increase in the number of very short consultations. The spectre of so-called six-minute medicine had been raised by the Federal Government in its push for a co-payment by patients or a rebate cut for visits that last no longer than 10 minutes

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY

Medicare cuts threaten emergency departments

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 7 : 14-Jan-15

Stephen Parnis, vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, has warned of increased stress on hospital emergency departments. He argued that the experience in the UK showed the Australian Government’s planned cuts worth $A3.5bn to the Medicare bulk billing system would lead to patients avoiding general practitioner (GP) visits and instead present at public hospitals. While Simon Judkins of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine agrees, he says an even greater issue will be patients with multiple illnesses failing to visit GPs as they can no longer afford to seek appropriate care

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Patients face $20 GP bill

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 1 : 13-Jan-15

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) opposes changes to Medicare rebates, which are due to come into effect on 19 January 2015. From that day, Medicare will pay only $A16.95 towards visits lasting six to 10 minutes. The current rate is $A37.05. The AMA warned that many doctors will cease bulk billing shorter consultations

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA

Co-pay fight in waiting rooms

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 19-Dec-14

The Australian Medical Association opposes the introduction of a $A5 co-payment for visits to the doctor. It intends to send campaign posters and pamphlets to doctors around the country. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has also expressed its opposition to the proposed changes

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA

Locking up mentally ill is on the decline

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 7 : 17-Dec-14

The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare will on 17 December 2014 issue a new report on the treatment of mentally ill people. It shows that the rate at which such patients are secluded in solitary confinement has been falling by 12% on average per annum since 2008-09, to just 5% in 2013-14. The trend is being welcomed by experts, who note that solitary confinement is more of a management strategy rather than actual solution to the underlying problem. The Office of the Public Advocate in Victoria wants seclusion to be phased out entirely, while the Ministry of Health in New South Wales says it is a last resort only

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELFARE, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION, NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE

Co-payment will hit bulk-billing, AMA head Owler predicts

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 4 : 11-Dec-14

Bulk-billing accounted for some 82 per cent of visits to Australian GPs in the 2013-14 financial year. Brian Owler, the president of the Australian Medical Association, has warned that the Federal Government’s revised co-payment scheme will forced many GPs to abandon bulk-billing in favour of private billing for most patients

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (VICTORIA)

Hockey, Abbott split on GP fee

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Nov-14

The future of the Australian Government’s proposed $A7 Medicare co-payment remains uncertain. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is believed to want to abandon the controversial policy, although Treasurer Joe Hockey and Health Minister Peter Dutton are keen to pursue its implementation. Dutton has warned that Medicare must be sustainable. Senator Ian Macdonald is among the Coalition members who oppose the co-payment

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ASC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Future fund at risk without $7 GP fee

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 27-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s decision to no longer pursue the $A7 co-payment for visits to general practitioners in the hostile Senate may also jeopardise the proposed Medical Research Future Fund. Its funding had been tied to the revenue to come from the abandoned measure, and the Department of Finance says it has no other source. Health Minister Peter Dutton previously said the fund would still be created, but with reduced resources. A Medical Research Future Fund Action Group lobbying body contains the CEOs of UBS, Wesfarmers and ASX

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Cancer therapy worth cost, doctors say

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Original article by Amy Corderoy
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 15 : 27-Nov-14

Dion Forstner, the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists’ faculty of radiation oncology dean, claims that under-resourcing by the Australian Government means many cancer sufferers cannot access potentially life-saving intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The body is lobbying the federal Medical Services Advisory Committee on the issue. Treatment rates in the UK have been lifted substantially after the Government set up a special funding vehicle with Stg23m

CORPORATES
THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH. MEDICAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE