AMA: Importance of health must be reflected in budget

The AMA has urged the government to ensure the importance Australians place on health is reflected in the budget process. AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said Australians consistently rank health as an issue that is of paramount concern but there is little recent evidence that government understands this.

Dr Capolingua said that first health was inexplicably excluded from the stimulus packages and now the budget speculation appears to be around ripping money out of health. She said that the government is refusing to confirm promises will be kept on fundamental health spending such as the Medicare safety net and the 30% private health insurance rebate.

Dr Capolingua said that public hospitals are already under great stress and facing even greater demand. Forcing people out of private health by breaking the promise on rebates would put even more pressure on the public system.  Read more

AMA provides feedback on the NHHRC’s interim report

The AMA has provided feedback on the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission’s interim report. The AMA President has also attended a one-on-one briefing session with the chair of the commission to expand on the AMA's views on the commission's report.

In its feedback on primary care, the AMA has expressed concern about the potential for the proposed comprehensive primary health care centres to duplicate and compete with existing services. The AMA also expressed concerns about role substitution and suggested that the commission instead consider alternatives to improve access in rural areas, such as positive incentives to attract more doctors including locum support, rewarding procedural work, support to expand existing infrastructure, outreach services, training in rural areas and support for country hospital infrastructure. Find out more

Small business and general business tax bonus

The Federal Government is funding a temporary tax break for small businesses. The tax break enables businesses to claim a bonus deduction of 30 per cent for eligible assets costing $1,000 or more that are acquired from 13 December 2008 to 30 June 2009, and installed and ready for use by 30 June 2010. For example, a small business that buys and installs a $2,000 computer before the end of June 2009 can claim an additional $600 deduction in its 2008-09 tax return.

The tax break will also be available at a reduced rate of 10 per cent for assets acquired from
1 July 2009 to 31 December 2009, and installed by 31 December 2010.

To benefit from the tax break, a small business must have a turnover of $2 million a year or less. Other businesses can receive the same deductions for eligible assets greater than $10,000.  Find out more

Survey reveals GPs’ attitudes to their working lives

Medicine in Australia: Balancing Life and Employment (MABEL) is a national longitudinal survey of doctors over a four-year period being conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne,  Monash University and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. The survey is designed to find out what factors influence changes in a doctor’s hours of work, participation, retirement and mobility. Over 10,000 doctors participated in the first wave of the survey, including nearly 4,000 GPs.

The results show that GPs are the least dissatisfied with their working hours compared to specialists, doctors-in-training and non-specialist hospital doctors. The survey also showed that 12 per cent of GPs were very likely to quit medical practice in the next five years. This would equate to the loss of 2,500 GPs. Intentions to quit largely reflect the retirement of the baby boomer generation. Find out more