Media Releases

“Today’s report that out of pocket health costs Australian people are having to pay have escalated to $1 billion should ring alarm bells for the federal government” said Dr Tracy Schrader, president, Doctors Reform Society. “This report supports a recent Newspoll survey which showed that 1 in every 8 Australians don’t see a doctor or get a prescription filled because of cost. The Australian Bureau of Statistics patient survey from 2009 told us the same.”

 “Out of pocket costs hit the less well-0ff and sick. If patients can’t afford to access standard health care some will suffer unnecessarily, some will become sicker than they need to be and end up in a hospital bed they should never have seen, and some will die.”

 “This federal government has done nothing to address the issue despite its major reform package”, said Dr Schrader.  “Indeed it has even reduced Medicare rebates for some things which will inevitably lead to increased costs for patients.”

 “These cost barriers exist despite a variety of safety nets. Safety nets clearly don’t work. One has safety nets when the basic structure is flawed.”  “The government has a variety of safety nets in place. Clearly they are not working. You only need safety nets when the system is flawed.

 “The Health Minister yesterday flagged changes to Medicare. She knows that the universal coverage which Medicare provides does not mean universal access,” said Dr Schrader. “Let’s hope that what she is talking about finally addresses these rising cost barriers, not (with) more safety nets or targeted programs, but with changes which stop copayments killing people.” 

 Dr Tracy Schrader    Dr Tim Woodruff                             

President   Vice President      

Doctors Reform Society                

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“Reports today that patients with mental illness will suffer under the changes to funding are misleading at best and more a reflection of powerful lobby groups anti-reform position,” said Dr Tracy Schrader, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“The Federal Government is reducing funding for some services but increasing funding for other services to a much greater extent so the balance is definitely positive,” said Dr Schrader. In addition the change in funding will mean there is a much fairer distribution of the funds with patients with greatest need being more likely to benefit.

 “One of the problems with the current Better Access Scheme for paying rebates to see a psychologist is that there is an average $35 out of pocket copayment every visit. That means the most desperate simply don’t go”, said Dr Schrader. “Another is that the scheme doesn’t help anyone who is in an area where there is a shortage of psychologists. Once again that means that many of the most disadvantaged, living in poorer and more rural areas won’t get a chance to see the psychologist.”

“GPs get paid to assess patients to see psychologists and the amount they will be paid has been reduced. For GPs who bulk bill most of their patients and want to spend valuable time doing this assessment very well, the reduction in payment will force them either to work for less money or charge a copayment, neither of which are good options. Unfortunately the figures show that quite a number of GPs provide this service ($163) very quickly compared to other services so the Government has decided to cut the rebate to $120. This type of argument will continue forever whilst the Government and the professions cling to the outmoded inefficient, unfair fee for service rebate system of paying health professionals”

 “Another claim is that many of those patients treated under the scheme are very unwell and need more treatment. This program was not designed to treat those with severe and ongoing problems.”

 “More funds are needed for mental health, said Dr Schrader. “These changes go part of the way.”

 Dr Tracy Schrader    Dr Tim Woodruff                             

President   Vice President      

Doctors Reform Society              

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“The opening of the first stand alone nurse practitioner lead clinic in Brisbane tomorrow will try to fill a gap in services which patients want and deserve but it is far from the best way to make use of these highly skilled people,” said Dr Tracy Schrader, president, Doctors Reform Society. “Waiting 40 minutes at a surgery, or 2 weeks to get a review appointment, or having to pay $30 just to get a repeat prescription with no questions asked leaves patients wondering about alternatives and such a clinic will provide such an alternative.”

There are two main concerns about this type of clinic however,” said Dr Schrader. “First this  is yet another expansion of the fee for service model of rebates and copayments which means that patients who don’t live in inner urban areas are likely to miss out on this kind of service, just like they do GP and specialist services, and as a business model the pressure will emerge to charge more copayments and leave the most needy out.”

 “Second is the concern that, as a clinic of nurse practitioners with limited general practitioner input, this is the exact opposite of the model of primary care that is needed to deal with the increasing complexity of community medical problems.

 “The best use of nurse practitioners in areas where there are already GPs and other health professionals would be to see this service as part of a salaried general practice, with nurse practitioners working side by side GPs and other health professionals, increasing the availability of care whilst optimising the opportunity for interaction of nurse practitioners, GPs, and others for the benefit of all patients.”

Dr Tracy Schrader    Dr Tim Woodruff  

President   Vice President      

Doctors Reform Society                 

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Today’s announcement by the Minister Roxon that she has approved a 5.78% increase in private health insurance (PHI) premiums means another $200 million in taxes to support private hospitals, said Dr Peter Davoren, President, Doctors Reform Society.

 It’s only 2 weeks since the Federal Government announced that it would not increase its funding to public hospitals back to how it was when the PHI rebate was introduced ie about 50% State: 50% Federal funding. It has ignored matching public hospital funding whilst every year it accepts an increase in the expanding private hospital industry. The best it offered for public hospitals was matching the States for future funding (not current, not past) with the States whilst it pours taxes into the private system which is inaccessible to the majority of Australian taxpayers.

 The fact that the numbers of Australians covered by PHI is at an all time high is a clear indication that increasing numbers perceive the public hospital system to be inadequate. This should be a source of shame by a Labor Government which introduced free access to public hospitals in 1974. Instead, Minister Roxon seems pleased that people are being scared into taking out expensive PHI.

 Many people then are encouraged to use their PHI to go to private hospitals where they find that there are many hidden costs which they struggle to pay.

 The Government should be ashamed of the new figures, rather than pleased.

 Dr Peter Davoren Dr Tim Woodruff                              

President   Vice President      

Doctors Reform Society                         

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“The health-based choice between the two major parties in this election comes down to a Labor party which understands the need for reform and has new ideas, or the Coalition which rejects the need for reform and is content with addressing a few deficiencies in the system”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“Both parties have promised a variety of patch up initiatives and programs to address issues like workforce shortages, after hours access, and hospital access”, said Dr Woodruff. “But quality of care, integrated chronic disease management, new models of community based care, and access to specialist services, seem to be a step too far for the vision-less Coalition.”

“Labor has some excellent ideas about these issues, e.g. performances indicators, investment in a Health and Quality Commission, single funder for primary care, co-ordinating primary care organisations (Medicare Locals), and expanded telemedicine”, said Dr Woodruff. “Labor’s implementation plan is unclear. What is presented is a start. Implementation of new ideas requires care as Labor has learnt”.

“There is much missing from both parties’ agenda. Dental care has been ignored. Mental health has been drip fed. Major structural reform to address the widespread geographical and financial barriers to care has been ignored. But there are clear differences of vision between the two major parties, even despite the many deficiencies.”

“Green’s policy also promises reform”, said Dr Woodruff. “The lack of detail makes it very difficult to compare. From both its policy principles and its previous positions, one can reasonably expect it to be generally supportive of reforms which point in the direction of accessible publicly funded health care.”

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 “Latest Medicare figures show that over the 3 months to March 2010 there has been a 16% rise in out of pocket costs to see a GP and a 22% rise to see a specialist”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “Despite such figures we see no response and no concern from either of the major political parties.”.

 “The Commonwealth Fund survey report that 34% of sick Australians indicate that cost is a reason for not getting proper medical care, whether it is seeing a doctor when sick or getting a prescription filled out,” said Dr Woodruff. “The latest Medicare figures tell us things are getting worse for these patients and yet we hear nothing from the politicians.”

 “Despite the large reform agenda of the current Government, there is nothing to address this issue of affordable access to health services,” said Dr Woodruff. “Having access targets (the best the reform agenda has to offer on this issue), means nothing if the financial barriers remain. But the latest figures indicate that the financial barriers are increasing. The most needy patients miss out.”

 “The Coalition has no reform agenda and has no new suggestions to address this issue. The most needy patients miss out.”

 “The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has been reported as regarding this as a ‘significant issue'”, said Dr Woodruff. “This is hypocrisy at its best given that it is AMA policy to charge such out of pocket costs. It flagrantly disregards the impact of these financial barriers on patients and demonstrates very clearly to all that the priority for the AMA is the financial interests of its own members. The most needy patients miss out.”

 “Sadly, it would seem that none of our leaders care about a fair go for our struggling patients.”

Dr Tim Woodruff      

President        

Doctors Reform Society         

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“The announcement of a significant increase in mental health funding by the Opposition Leader Mr Abbott is a welcome recognition that mental health is one area which has almost been forgotten by the Federal Government,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

 “It comes at a cost to other useful funding initiatives however, but more importantly we still hear nothing from either major party about dental health, and neither party will commit to a return to their fair share of funding of public hospitals. Indeed, Mr Abbott was the Health Minister as the Howard Government’s share of funding dropped from 50% to 38%, leaving States to massively increase funding to cope with increased demand.”

 “In addition, the emphasis of health system reform must be an increased focus on primary and preventive care about which the Mr Abbott has said nothing to date,” said Dr Woodruff. “We await further policy pronouncements with interest and hope to see a recognition that a privatised health system, previously so strongly supported by the Coalition, will only lead to  more expensive and less accessible care for all Australians.”

Dr Tim Woodruff    Dr Con Costa   

President   Vice President      

Doctors Reform Society                          

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  “Recently released figures on public hospital performance show that throughout Australia public hospitals are struggling to cope with the additional demands made upon them despite significant increases in funding from State Governments,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “But this increased State funding is unmatched by a parsimonious Federal Government which refuses to return to the 50/50 funding arrangement which began 25 years ago with Medicare.”

“Getting into hospital is a challenge for sick Australians although once in hospital the dedication of staff to providing first class treatment remains,” said Dr Woodruff. “But still the Federal Government continues to talk about hospital performance statistics which are not worth the paper they are written on. They ignore the waiting time to get on an elective surgery waiting list and every doctor in the country knows this can be over 2 years. Ignored also is the capacity of hospitals to cheat or game the system and make the figures not quite so bad.”

“More than that however, is the Federal Government’s insistence that continued reliance on and taxpayer support for the more expensive private system is the way to address the problem,” said Dr Woodruff. “The most needy Australians will never be reached by a publicly subsidised private system, whether they have a mental illness, or live in a poor area, or whether they simply can’t afford the copayments. It’s time for the new Gillard Government to accept that fact and adequately fund the public provision of GP services and hospital services. Only then will we be moving to a socially inclusive and fair Australia.””

“It’s time for the new Gillard Government to accept that properly organised and funded public provision of health services is the only way to guarantee a workable and sustainable health system for all Australians – and a socially inclusive and fair Australia. Public hospitals deserve better – patients deserve better, and so do our dedicated hospital nurses and doctors,” said Dr Woodruff.

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