May 2015    

Review of Medicare - what does it mean?

In late April, Health Minister Sussan Ley announced new Medicare reviews that could lead to some of the biggest changes to the Medicare benefit system since its introduction.

There are three major elements of the Government’s plan: to review Medicare benefits, explore better ways to deliver primary care and to tighten Medicare compliance. They offer the prospect of fundamental improvements that can update Medicare to match available advances in medicine and health practice.

“We congratulate the Government for moving on from the dead end proposals for a co-payment. Now the reform plan can consider the real potential of contemporary health care to revive Medicare’s power to meet the needs of today’s chronically ill and of those with serious but treatable conditions,” the Chief Executive Officer of the Consumers Health Forum, Leanne Wells, said.

“That these are being considered at the same time as the Government introduces the Primary Health Networks, presents a once in a generation opportunity to swing Medicare towards a patient-centred system. Too often patient-focus has been made much of while the reality has remained that health services have been structured to meet the priorities of providers."

HCNSW welcomes the Government’s planned inclusion of consumer and patient representatives in the reviews. We will keep you informed about opportunities for your input.

CHF press release
ABC Explainer: What the Medicare shake-up means
ABC News: GPs outline plans for funding system overhaul in lieu of scrapped Medicare copayment

ICPCM Declaration on Person-and People-Centred Integrated Healthcare for All

The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) supports the key themes and principles outlined in the Geneva Declaration on Person-and-People-Centred Integrated Healthcare for All (PPCIC) released by the International College of Person-Centred Medicine (ICPCM) Board in May last year

Health Consumers NSW welcomes the decision and supports the call to individual and collaborative action that is included in the Declaration. We look forward to working with IAPO, ICPCM and other partners on enhancing PPCIC for people in all countries around the world and NSW.

Achieving patient-centred healthcare at every level and in every community requires the support and collaboration of patients and patients’ organisations, policy-makers, health professionals, service providers and health-related industries. Policies and practices must be agreed, acted upon, monitored and evaluated. Learning and effective-practice examples should be shared and publicised to illustrate the benefits and outcomes of patient-centred healthcare.

Read the IAPO press release

A common plea we hear from consumers is the frustration they feel when they have to repeat key information about themselves, their medical history, and current medications to multiple clinicians.

The difference of the renamed myHealth Record is Health Minister Ley's decision to go with an opt out policy. This will mean everybody will get registered unless they actively oppose signing on. The current opt in approach has proved very slow to take hold.

“All health consumers deserve the benefits that information technology can offer their health care, benefits that are now taken for granted in other sensitive areas like personal banking,” says the Consumer Health Forum’s Chief Executive Officer, Leanne Wells.