Australians have misplaced greater than $8bn in medical rebates, a number one physician has warned, as Medicare stays frozen at pre-2000 ranges.
Australian Medical Association president Stephen Robson revealed many rebates remained pegged to costs paid for throughout the Hawke period.
“Almost 40 years ago, the rebates offered to Australians reflected the cost of providing services,” Dr Robson mentioned.
“Well, times have changed and the Medicare rebates never kept up with inflation – the pathology sector has not seen rebates rise since 1999.
“This neglect has left patients and practises with ever-increasing costs, while Australians are battling more and more chronic conditions.”
As a end result, Mr Robson mentioned sufferers had been underfunded by greater than $8.6bn in rebates only for a refund on GP session charges.
The bleak discovering comes because the AMA president known as on the Labor authorities to rethink its relationship with well being funding.
Speaking on the National Press Club, Dr Robson mentioned there was proof well being funding led to higher financial outcomes.
“It’s time to change the narrative around investing in health,” Dr Robson mentioned.
“Health should not just be seen as a spending portfolio, it should be seen as a productivity portfolio.”
Dr Robson lauded the federal government for introducing tighter controls on vapes, which he mentioned would have a optimistic long-term financial impression.
Following legislative adjustments on e-cigarettes, which have been supported by the AMA, Dr Robson mentioned the company was now taking over sugary drinks.
Dr Robson mentioned a possible sugar tax was a “win, win, win” for governments.
“A sugar tax is smart policy that raises revenue, saves lives, and saves healthcare dollars,” Dr Robson mentioned.
“Modelling suggests that a tax on sugary drinks would result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
“That would generate $800m in revenue for the government over forward estimates.”
Dr Robson mentioned the concept was “ripe to adopt” if there was the political will to take action.
But, after speaking with political leaders, he mentioned it was as much as well being consultants to assist politicians “sell” well being funding.
“At the end of the day they (politicians) want to be re-elected,” Dr Robson mentioned.
“We have to make sure that when politicians go to their constituencies that they talk about the things that are important to them.
“And, when we survey people, we actually know that health is really important to people, so we have to build a narrative around that (…) not what is important to big business or lobbies.”
Dr Robson’s speech – aimed toward shifting the “sick care system” to a healthcare system – coincided with a brand new AMA well being report.
He touched on a spread of well being components in Australia, together with impacts from an ageing inhabitants and lagging non-public medical health insurance take-up.
He informed reporters the variety of individuals struggling power sickness was on the rise in Australia, with the nation slipping in well being rankings.
“We are at risk from an already strained health system cracking under further pressure,” Dr Robson mentioned.
“As public hospitals struggle with an unprecedented backlog, many Australians have begun to take out private health insurance again.
“Its fool’s gold because as cost of living pressures bit harder you can be sure the struggle to get people into private health insurance will return.”
Dr Robson additionally warned that the ramifications from the Covid pandemic have been removed from over.
He mentioned “20,000 more people died in (Australia in) 2022 than we would have expected to have died had there not been a pandemic”.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
