register

News & Trends - Pharmaceuticals

Australia’s universal health system in a mid-life crisis, say experts

Health Industry Hub | December 5, 2022 |

Australia’s universal healthcare system is no longer fit for purpose and has failed to keep up with changes to health needs since it started four decades ago.

A new Grattan Institute report is calling for an overhaul of the way GPs work and get paid so Australia can turn the tide of chronic disease, keep more people out of hospital, and ensure poorer Australians get the care they need when they need it.

“Australia’s universal healthcare system, Medicare, started in 1984. It was a different time: perms were still in fashion, INXS had their first hit single, and you could still pay for things with a one cent coin. Much has changed in the four decades since, but the government’s approach to general practice – the backbone of our health system – hasn’t kept up,” the report said.

GPs’ work has become much more complex, as the population has grown older and rates of mental ill-health and chronic disease have climbed. While rates of bulk-billing for GP services are high overall, particularly for patients with concession cards, disadvantaged Australians still face barriers and inequity to care.

But the way we structure and fund general practice hasn’t kept up. 

Despite patient care becoming more complex, appointments have been stuck at an average length of 15 minutes for the past two decades. The MBS encourages GPs to see more patients, faster, by paying
more per minute for shorter visits. This promotes a focus on speed over need. GPs are therefore struggling to meet their patients’ needs, and they lack the support of a broader team of health professionals to do so.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler recently said that “primary care is in its worst shape since Medicare began”.

The discussions at the recent General Practice Crisis Summit affirmed that decades of significant underfunding and cost-cutting has left general practice on the brink of collapse, with high upfront costs affecting vulnerable patients’ access to timely care and future doctors discouraged from pursuing a career in general practice, leading to a growing shortage of GPs.

Other countries have reformed general practice, and their rates of avoidable hospital visits for chronic disease are falling. But Australia is spending more on hospitals while neglecting general practice: the best place to tackle chronic disease.

Patients suffer the consequences. People with chronic disease live shorter lives, with more years of ill-health, and lower earnings. Poorer Australians suffer the most: they are twice as likely to have multiple chronic diseases as wealthy Australians.

Australia’s healthcare workers are also struggling. Hospital staff are overwhelmed with demand. And GPs tell us they are stressed, disrespected, and disillusioned.

“Medicare is in the grip of a mid-life crisis,” said report lead author and Grattan Institute Health and Aged Care Program Director Peter Breadon.

To bring Medicare into the 21st Century, the report recommends big changes.

First, general practice needs to become a team sport, with many clinicians working under the leadership of a GP to provide more and better care.

To achieve this, the federal government will have to dismantle the regulatory and funding barriers that force GPs to go it alone. To accelerate the change, 1,000 more clinicians, such as nurses and physiotherapists, should be employed in general practices in the communities that need them most.

Second, Australia needs to change the way GPs are paid. The current method is broken – it actively discourages GPs from working with teams, and it rewards GPs who see lots of patients in quick succession, rather than spending more time with patients who need more care.

GPs should be able to choose a new funding model that supports team care and enables them to spend more time on complex cases, by combining appointment fees with a flexible budget for each patient based on their level of need.

“Our fix will give more patients better care, and boost GPs’ job satisfaction – and it’s affordable.

“Reform is overdue, but an opportunity has arrived. The Albanese Government has set aside $250 million a year to fix Medicare. That money can fund the recommendations in this report, repairing the foundation of Australia’s healthcare system and creating a new Medicare that is ready for the decades ahead,” Breadon added.

A copy of the report has been provided to the federal government’s Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, chaired by Health Minister, Mark Butler. The Taskforce was established to recommend changes to health funding to better meet the demands of an ageing population and will report to the government on 13th December.

In reimagining healthcare, Health Industry HubTM is the ONLY one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change. The exclusive leadership and influencer podcasts and vodcasts offer unparalleled insights and add immense value to our breaking news coverage.

The Health Industry HubTM content is copyright protected. Access is available under individual user licenses. Please click here to subscribe and visit T&Cs here.


ESG

Edwards Lifesciences VP challenges us to 'dream bigger' for underserved communities

Edwards Lifesciences VP challenges us to ‘dream bigger’ for underserved communities

Health Industry Hub | November 11, 2024 |

Social Impact: Edwards Lifesciences ANZ held its annual Foundation Grants Day, an event that brought to life the company’s commitment […]

More


News & Trends - MedTech & Diagnostics

Government faces scrutiny for inaction in private hospital sector despite Health Check warnings

Government faces scrutiny for inaction in private hospital sector despite Health Check warnings

Health Industry Hub | November 11, 2024 |

Shadow Health Minister Senator Anne Ruston questioned the Department of Health’s commitment to addressing critical issues in the private hospital […]

More


News & Trends - MedTech & Diagnostics

Australia lags behind in funding pharmacogenomic testing: Pathologists urge action

Australia lags behind in funding pharmacogenomic testing: Pathologists urge action

Health Industry Hub | November 11, 2024 |

Diagnostics & MedTech News: The call for urgent action to improve access to pharmacogenomic testing across Australia comes as demand […]

More


News & Trends - Pharmaceuticals

Australia’s first Cholesterol Awareness Week launched to tackle nation’s 'silent disease'

Australia’s first Cholesterol Awareness Week launched to tackle nation’s ‘silent disease’

Health Industry Hub | November 11, 2024 |

Pharma News: Leading heart charities have come together to launch the nation’s first Cholesterol Awareness Week (11-17 November), aiming to […]

More


This content is copyright protected. Please subscribe to gain access.