Commission of Audit recommends health system run by bean counters

“It is clear that the Commission’s recommendations have been put forward by business leaders and bureaucrats with no input from people with health and medical expertise,” Dr Hambleton said.

“It is a health system designed by bean counters for bean counters. It puts saving money ahead of saving lives.

“It is shifting more and more health costs on to patients, including the most vulnerable – working families, the elderly, and the chronically ill.

“The new high co-payment proposal for GP visits would see sick people abandon or delay visits to the doctor, which would ultimately cost the health system more as these patients eventually require much more expensive hospital treatment.

“The co-payment would also burden general practice with extra red tape, which is contrary to stated Government policy.

“The only good thing about the Commission’s health recommendations is that they will be easy for the Government to reject them – and the AMA will be urging the Government to do so.

“The AMA is ready to consult with the Government on informed structural reform of the health system.”

The AMA also has concerns about other Commission recommendations including:

• the proposal to merge Health Workforce Australia and GPET with the Department of Health and Ageing, which would undermine the capacity to undertake essential medical workforce planning to ensure the community has access to the right number of doctors in the right places;
• winding back changes to the medical indemnity insurance industry that were implemented by the Prime Minister when he was Health Minister;
• task substitution – allowing other professions to do the work of doctors; and
• scaling down the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

1 May 2014

CONTACT:        John Flannery                     02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761