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.

Medicare Select – Entrenching Inequality in Health Care?

In its Final Report, the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission made a number of recommendations for change to Australia’s health policies and programs.  Some of these are very worthwhile but one of its main proposals, ‘Medicare Select’ is decidedly less so. This proposal would involve all Australians becoming enrolled in a government-funded health care plan, but with the option of moving to an individual (private) ‘plan’. Government funding would be directed to the private … more

Jennifer Doggett | Private Health Insurance Rebate: “The Worst Health Funding Policy in Australia’s History”

Jennifer Dogget criticises the Oppositions take on health financing issues in the context of their rejection of the Government’s efforts to reform the private health insurance rebate. Read Jennifer Dogget’s article originally published at Crikey here. “Imagine if car insurance provided rebates for fuel expenses and the Government subsidised the cost of that insurance.  What would result from this (thankfully) hypothetical situation?  People would use more petrol than they do currently (since they don’t incur … more

Comments on the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission report

The government needs to summon up the political will for some major decisions in health, but unfortunately the NHHRC’s final report fails to give them clear guidance for those decisions. The Commission’s emphasis on indigenous and mental health is certainly welcome. However, while their report is strong on specifics and incremental change, it fails to espouse a clear strategy based on a public consensus on the values that should drive our health system. The Canadians … more

 

Managing demand and supply in health

Managing the Demand and Improving the Supply of Health Services Submission from John Menadue, Centre for Policy Development, to the Senate Community Affairs Committee, 3 July 2009 Main Points Healthcare costs must be contained, particularly if we are to live within the cap of 2% real expenditure growth that the Federal Government has determined. There is no way the Government can achieve a 2% cap on the growth of annual real spending in health unless … more

Cracking down on the private health insurance rebate should be just the beginning: Ian McAuley

In pre-budget periods rumours abound. Often the most unpalatable ideas come from the government itself, so that on budget night people can breathe a sigh of relief that they did not materialise. We can be reasonably sure, however, that this year the Commonwealth will try to inject a short-term stimulus to the economy, while capping long-term commitments. It will be generous with outlays with a limited time span, and tight on those outlays and tax … more

Reflections on the NHHRC Interim Report

Like the very best sort of underwear, the Interim Report from the NHHRC Commission is important as much for what it conceals as what it reveals. What is revealed in the report is the support of the Commission for a strong primary care sector, with many of the features recommended in the CPD’s occasional paper A New Approach to Primary Care for Australia.  These include the expansion of the Government’s ‘GP Superclinics’ policy so that … more

 

Bringing Health Care back to Local Communities

The health status of many Australians is among the best in the world, however there is ample evidence of gross inequity and inefficiency in our health system, as well as very limited citizen and consumer input into how our health system works. Substantial inequities in health status exist across different population groups ⎯ most powerfully illustrated by the 17 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians ⎯ but are also quite apparent … more

Making Health Policy with Kevin Rudd

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a new government in possession of a reform agenda must be in want of a Taskforce (or a Commission…or a review…or a policy committee). The Rudd Government is no exception to this rule having established, in its first year of office, taskforces, policy reviews, commissions and consultation processes in almost every area of the health system. These include the following:  A National Primary Care Policy Reference Group The … more

The Best and Worst in Health

The Rudd Government’s first year has brought a mixed record in health policy – a grab-bag of small, uncoordinated initiatives have been announced, but major election commitments to reform remain unfulfilled, awaiting reports from a raft of advisory groups. The Best The best health policy initiative from the Rudd Government this year was its commitment to spend $90.3 million over the next five years on Indigenous child and maternal health services.  This will contribute to … more