Too often we seem to forget in debates about our mythical “health system” that much healthcare is provided by private interests, whether private practitioners or companies.
Medicare
Crikey Says: An apple a day …
The Australian Medical Association came out swinging yesterday in response to an article in The Medical Journal of Australia by Dr Tony Webber, a GP who until recently headed the Medicare watchdog.
Protests over Better Access cutbacks miss bigger concerns about fairness
We need to be looking at major structural changes to how we fund our health system, writes Dr Tim Woodruff, of the Doctors Reform Society.
AMA not exactly famous for leadership in health reform
The Australian Medical Association continued its tradition of opposing key health reforms, writes health policy analyst Jennifer Doggett.
healthcare 
What will we learn from the Medicare Locals tender documents?
The tender documents for the first of the new primary health care organisations known as Medicare Locals are expected to be released any day now. Dr Harry Hemley has some questions about how they will work.
Ideas for how Medicare Locals can engage their communities
Some of the questions about the government’s health care reform plans are around whether Medicare Locals will manage to genuinely engage their communities. Scott White asks Croakey readers for their suggestions.
Better outcome for mental health care? Get your hand off it.
With the recent focus on social workers and the Medicare rebate, it is timely to promote greater awareness of what social workers provide in terms of psychological and emotional assistance, writes clinical social worker Amy Addinsall.
Mungo MacCallum: Rudd, despite handing out health biscuits, has hard calls to make
Kevin Rudd has finally admitted what everyone else realised some time ago: fixing the health system is going to cost a huge amount of money and it’s no good pretending otherwise.
Diabetes announcement deserves more credit than the AMA’s giving it
There is much to praise in the federal government’s plans, announced yesterday, to improve the care of people with diabetes by establishing a system of voluntary enrolment with general practices, writes Professor Philip Davies.
Ten well-kept secrets about health in Australia
Dr Alex Wodak, president of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, offers 10 well-kept secrets about the state of health in Australia.
Menadue: Why the states should back Rudd’s health reform
The Government’s announcements on hospital reform are bold and deserve widespread support, writes John Menadue. The government is to be applauded and encouraged.
The Australian of the Year: we’re lucky to still have him here
Even though he has been at the forefront of international clinical research and health services developments for young people, Pat McGorry has never expected to be so openly praised for his work, writes Professor Ian Hickie.
The fees war must have Hippocrates turning in his grave
The health of patients with cataracts is being forgotten by both major parties in the debate about Medicare rebates for cataract surgery and for joint injections, writes Dr Tim Woodruff.
Medicare’s future is at stake
The National Health and Hospital Reform Commission’s new proposals on Denticare and Medicare Select will lay the grounds for the eventual demise of Medicare, says John Menadue.
Don’t let health reform jeopardise the good works done by public hospital outpatient clinics
There is no doubt that the community needs better access to specialist services closer to where they live and work, writes Professor Ian Webster.
Consumer advocate goes eye to eye with ophthalmologists
Exploiting a vulnerable health consumer is unethical behaviour for a professional group campaigning to maintain their high incomes. Which is exactly what ophthalmologists are doing, writes Carol Bennett.
Calls to review funding of unproven spinal procedure
A bitter brawl has erupted over the spinal procedure vertebroplasty, with new research finding that the Medicare covered procedure is “no better than [a] placebo”.
Medicare De-Select: does allowing an “opt out” mean the end of Medicare?
Along with the laudable plans to reform a basically robust system, the National Health and Hospitals Commission proposal suggests something that could undermine our system’s very fundamentals: Medicare Select.
Rudd should sink his teeth into reducing sugar consumption
Since everyone is in wild agreement that the cause of tooth decay is sugar, why are we not acting to restrict its consumption?, asks David Gillespie.
Fixing health: Crikey reviews the latest report
The much-anticipated report from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has landed. Bernard Keane gets to grips with the detail.
Tips and rumours: ABC Radio stays mono
One tipster questions if ABC Radio will actually go digital, and what’s going on between Julie Bishop and Dennis Jensen?
Mungo MacCallum: Turnbull manages a budget week without silliness
Turnbull did pretty well in budget week … the only one of his colleagues who bagged him was Bronwyn Bishop.
Health budget: clever, but way off
The health budget measures are a clever response to a difficult situation, writes Robert Wells.
Budget 09 leaks: a Crikey list
This year, with a GFC-affected Budget, leaks are being used to help people — especially higher income earners — adjust to the idea that it won’t just be bonuses and handouts.
Spinal procedure possibly no better than sham surgery
A procedure performed regularly on thousands of people with painful spinal fractures may not in fact work, according to the preliminary results of scientific studies.
