The Government’s health reform package is far less than originally conceived, but it will deliver long-term benefits. The real beneficiaries will be the taxpayers of the next three decades.
National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
Has Indigenous health reform been dropped?
A “radical change” in the organisation of health care for Indigenous Australians was one of the highest priority recommendations from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, but the government appears intent on ignoring it, reports Melissa Sweet.
The questions journos forgot to ask at the National Press Club
The National Press Club failed to really grill the prime minister about his health proposals — or lack of them, writes Melissa Sweet. Here are the questions they forgot to ask.
Memo COAG: Forget ideology, concentrate on what patients need
It’s unfortunate that the debate about Medicare Select has turned into a battle, along ideological lines, between advocates for the public and private sectors, writes Jennifer Doggett.
Penington: Decisions loom for Australia’s public hospitals
Recommendations made by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission on to “fix” public hospitals will only make things worse and jeopardise the future of the medical profession, writes David Penington.
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.
Here’s how Rudd could resuscitate our public hospitals
In 2007, Kevin Rudd promised to fix Australia’s public hospitals if the states had not done so in a year. He would be foolish to blindly follow his National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s recommendations, writes David Penington.
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.
Some ideas for health reform that could happen NOW
CEO of Cancer Council Australia, Professor Ian Olver, has some ideas for reforms to Australian health care that could be introduced without waiting for further reviews, reports and consultations.
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.
Health reform report: big on efficiency but what about quality?
Many policy analysts (including myself) would argue that a Commonwealth take over of the whole caboodle is the way to go with health care. However, what is all this talk of “efficiency costs”? asks Gavin Mooney.
Our health system serves most of us well. That’s the issue
The real political issue of the recently released health reform report is that our health systems — plural — are perceived as broken when in fact they’re not.
Crikey Says: Tabloids struggle with health report
Australia’s tabloid/broadsheet divide was again highlighted with the release of the important, if difficult-to-pitch, report from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission which landed yesterday.
Lessons Rudd can learn from US health care
Rudd has something to learn from America’s health care system when it comes to reforming Australia’s health care. For example, how the US collects and analyses data in hospitals, writes Dr Lesley Russell.
Prevention is impractical, but try telling that to the PM
Prevention is a health economist’s dream given the ageing of the population and the growth of chronic diseases. It’s better than cure, PM Kevin Rudd agreed yesterday, three times. But is that really true?
Rudd says health reform won’t be cheap
Kevin Rudd says that health reform “won’t come inexpensively” and there will be at least six months of consultations before any changes to the health system are made.
Big promises little change in health report
The health report fails to take into account the “relentless turf wars” occuring inside medical centres between health professionals about responsibility writes Paul Cogan.
Crabb: buck on hospitals to stop with Rudd
Kevin07 spoke of ending the passing of the buck of health care between states and the federal government, but the buck hasn’t stopped with Kevin Rudd yet writes Annabel Crabb.
Pollies v doctors in hospital battle
Today’s national health report stops short of recommending that hospitals be completely 100% federally funded. Opposition leader Turnbull says it represents “one broken promise after another” from PM Kevin Rudd.
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.
A simple truth: you can’t have health reform without pain
If only health reform was as simple as taking two quick pills and waking up in the morning with a shiny new system, writes Melissa Sweet.
Menadue: five health reforms we really need
There are five critical issues that should be addressed by National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission.
We have 38% fewer hospital beds than in 1981: it’s a scandal
When there is a lack of beds, patients suffer. It’s that simple, writes Professor Peter Collignon.
Paramedics forgotten in our health care debate
Where does the provision of out-of-hospital Emergency Medical Services figure in the national health debate?
