While our health care services are not in terminal decline, they are suffering from some chronic illnesses. Yet successive governments have examined our health care policies and done little more than slap on some sticking-plaster and send the more demanding patients away with a jellybean.

The CPD’s work tackles the inefficiency, inequity and needless complexity of our health system. We provide a platform for experts, stakeholders and citizens to share information and develop ideas to resuscitate Australia’s ailing health policies.

Hang On – Are Local Hospital Boards Really A Good Idea?

The Coalition released their health and hospitals policy today, including a pledge to establish local hospital boards. Before the paperwork stacks up too high, Jennifer Doggett has a closer look at the policy For a party that professes to support efficiency and aims to reduce bureaucracy, the Coalition’s policy to establish local hospital boards for every public hospital is curious. There are 737 public acute hospitals in Australia. Tony Abbott’s proposal will create 737 new … more

Health Care Affordability Needs A Makeover

There’s a big difference between having a bad hair day and getting sick, writes Jennifer Doggett, and that’s why we need more action on health care affordability Former health minister Kay Patterson was fond of asking people who complained about the cost of health care how much they paid their hairdresser. Her not very subtle point was that if someone could afford $60 for a cut-and-blowwave then they shouldn’t complain about a similar expense to … more

Could This Be Money Better Spent?

In an election campaign dominated by spending and savings, why is so little attention being paid to the private health insurance rebate, asks Adam Stebbing In an election campaign in which both sides are competing to spend as little and save as much as possible, one obvious source of savings – the Private Health Insurance Rebate – has been ignored. Means testing, or abolishing, this rebate would increase both the fairness and efficiency of public … more

 

This is not health strategy; it’s “muddling through”, says John Menadue

John Menadue, in Croakey – Crikey’s health blog, looks at the health reform journey to date, including some of the wrong turns taken & where we should be heading. First published on Croakey, Crikey’s Health Blog on 15 July 2010 John Menadue, a prominent advocate for health reform, is scheduled to address a Queensland Nurses’ Union conference today, on health reform. You can read his speech in full below. (It is quite a bit longer … more

Rudd’s destructive intervention

Contrary to the impression created by the initial announcement it now appears that the Rudd government is not planning to control hospitals and thereby create a single national mega monopoly – at least in the short run. Perhaps this is to be expected in view of the Commonwealth’s inexperience in the hospital sector. What then is the significance of the intervention; was it necessary and what should happen next? Stripped of the wrapping, the key … more

 

An Industry Economist looks at Australia’s health industry

Earlier this year I was asked to describe Australia’s health care arrangements to a gathering of industry economists at the Korean Development Institute. Such an explanation had to be in a framework familiar to industry economists, covering matters such as industry structure, markets, assessments of efficiency, productivity etc – in the way one may describe and assess the performance of any other industry. When we examine health care from such a perspective it looks weird. … more

Take health governance out of politician’s hands

The government’s announcements on hospital reform are bold and deserve widespread support. They are a step in the right direction. I am agreeably surprised, given the history of previous health reform attempts.  I hope the states and the coalition are not churlish and miss a great opportunity for themselves and the Australian people. In the months ahead there will be hard negotiations and further policy announcements to flesh out yesterday’s announcement. I will be looking … more

Health Reform, Governance and Political Will: Governance is about how power is managed

The Prime Minister has threatened to ‘take over’ state hospitals and government decisions are awaited on several commissions of enquiry. The report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission was particularly disappointing with its plans for Denticare and Medicare Select which together would seriously put Medicare at risk. That is not to say however that Medicare doesn’t need some urgent reform. I have written about that elsewhere. Will we get a breakthrough in health … more